Buy Local

The decision on what and where to spend our money is vital to the well-being of our community. Buying local boosts local communities. For every dollar we spend on foreign-made products, we take a dollar away from our families and communities, and we must reverse this. New Zealand manufacturers and retailers, who have provided centuries of commitment to their communities are being undermined by the introduction of 'big box' complexes and cheap imports. The further food travels, the greater the impact of carbon emissions, as well as the wider environmental impacts of global shipping and air freight.

As well as campaigning on Buy Local, in October 2006, as part of the Co-operation Agreement with the Labour-led Government, the Greens negotiated a Buy Kiwi Made programme. Sue Bradford is the Government spokesperson for this initiative, the goals of which are:

• Creating awareness of the employment, economic, environmental and social benefits of buying locally made products and services
  
• Building brand loyalty for New Zealand made products
  
• Reducing imports, especially of consumption goods
  
• Helping to reduce New Zealand's trade deficit
  
• Helping to increase New Zealand's manufacturing capability
  
• Helping to create employment
  
• Helping to reduce fuel consumption.
  

You can find information about this Government programme, headed by Sue Bradford MP, on our Buy Kiwi Made page.