Australian garlic v's Chinese imported rubbish

  " I know for a fact that some garlic growers over there use raw human sewage to fertilize their crops, and I don't believe the Australian quarantine regulations are strict enough in terms of bacteria testing on imported produce" Henry Bell President of The Australian Garlic Industry.

 Over 90% of the garlic consumed in Australia is from China, 

Bleached, snowy white and 
void of all life Chinese Garlic

 The ‘flood’ of cheap, inferior, chemically treated garlic into Australia in the mid 1990's saw a massive decline in local production. Many farmers moved out of garlic production at the time as they could not compete with the flood of cheap  imports. China has become our largest supplier by forcing down its price through cheap labour, harsh working conditions and often substandard farming practices. 

My Local  Organic Garlic

 In China, chemicals banned in Australia are still being used to grow garlic.

Chinese garlic is whitened with chlorine and sulphur, is gamma irradiated to prevent sprouting and is also sprayed with Maleic Hydrazide to extend its shelf  life and finally, treated with Methyl Bromide and irradiated on entry into Australia.

Local Organic Garlic curing slowly in my shed

 Ethical consumerism and fair trade and 'clean' healthy food are serious considerations, which demand we ask ‘how our food is grown, at what price and who has paid the real price?’ 

In the last couple of years there has been a resurgence in the demand for Australian Garlic, as consumers are becoming aware of  where their food comes from, and how it is grown. Supply of Australian garlic is on the rise as niche growers, many of them who are organic (myself included) are popping up to meet the demand.