We have always been urged to buy local produce. Photo/Thinkstock
Walking the aisles of our supermarket's booze section I tend to avoid the Australian, South African and Chilean wine.
My enthusiasm's curbed by the weight of the bottles multiplied by the energy it takes to ship them from the countries above (4162km, 11,574km and 9146km respectively), only for them to
sit next to, and compare poorly with, our own plonk.
Last week I refused to buy limes at a Hastings supermarket after noticing they were labelled "Product of USA". Then, just days later, New Zealand food and beverage makers cried foul when Australian supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths competed to be the "most Australian" company by snubbing New Zealand tenders.
Kiwis were urged to boycott said Aussie chains.
It's a strange impasse.
