For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Valentines Day page, and our Politics and Democracy page.

A group of 15 influential Australian food writers were treated to a Valentine’s Day love-in at an exclusive Byron resort last week, courtesy of a macadamia industry facing criticism over widespread use of dangerous chemicals.

The cream of the journalistic crop ate Bangalow pork and macadamia nut pesto at the famous Satiate restaurant and indulged in exquisite degustation at another top dining spot, in between visits to plantations and processing plants.

But the high point of the trip surely was the massage with macadamia nut-infused oils at the beautiful Byron at Byron Resort.

It’s unclear whether the writers were also informed about the recent controversy in the area over corporate macadamia farms using helicopters to spray potentially nasty pesticides during windy conditions, and the resulting calls for greater transparency about what chemical cocktails are used.