13th May 2015, 3:43 PM – Senate Committees — Economics References Committee; Reference

Motion:

Senator Cory Bernardi

I move:

That the following matters be referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 November 2015:

(a) the extent of food certification schemes and certifiers in Australia including, but not limited to, schemes related to organic, kosher, halal and genetically modified food and general food safety certification schemes;

(b) current labelling requirements of food certification schemes;

(c) the need for labelling on products produced by companies that pay certification fees;

(d) whether current schemes provide enough information for Australian consumers to make informed purchasing decisions;

(e) details regarding certification fees paid by food producers and/or manufacturers, and the potential for these to impact on prices for consumers;

(f) the importance of food certification schemes in relation to export market access and returns to producers;

(g) the extent and adequacy of information available to the public about certifiers including, but not limited to, certification processes, fees and financial records; and

(h) any related matters.