Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis makes appeal to Royal Show goers to keep buying local

West Australians are being urged to show their patriotism at the checkout, with a new campaign raising awareness of the symbol guiding shoppers to buy local.

The $1.1 million Buy West Eat Best campaign has been running since 2008, but is getting a boost with a month of promotions during October to promote the message to take a bite out of WA.

Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis showed off her green badge of a WA-shaped ‘bite’ at the Perth Royal Show on Monday.

“We’re here to announce that October will be Buy West Eat Best month,” she said.

“It’s about promoting WA farmers, fishers and food producers, and to make sure that West Australians look for the ‘Buy West, Eat Best’ symbol wherever they go.”

There’s strict criteria to use the logo, with all of the 220 members required to prove their product is grown, farmed or fished in WA so consumers know their hard-earned cash is supporting the local economy.

One survey found three out of every four shoppers actively look for the logo when shopping.

Buy West Eat Best program manager Melissa Worthington said the campaign has lasted because it works.

“It’s the trust that sits behind that logo that makes it so successful,” she said.

“Right now I’m sitting about 220 members, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you look at those individual brands or those individual lines, it is.

“Sweeter Banana is a great example, Harvey Beef another great example, multiple different products that you can purchase when you are grocery shopping.”

Events in October will include a ‘meet the buyer’ trade show, for producers to show-off their ingredients to importers, restaurants and chefs.