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The Australian Indigenous-led bush products sector: Insights from the literature and recommendations for the future

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Abstract

The development of an Australian Indigenous-led bush products sector presents opportunities for Indigenous Australians to create new livelihoods, and build on existing enterprises, based on their unique knowledge systems and long established socio-cultural and environmental management practices. This review draws on Australian literature from 2005 to 2018 to establish a better understanding of the benefits that could result from the development of this sector in northern Australia; identify the key challenges that need to be addressed to facilitate sector development; and identify possible solutions. Insights reveal that while there are significant, and potentially self-sustaining opportunities offered by the development of the sector, these are unlikely to be realised without appropriate actions to resolve knowledge and skills gaps and address significant social, cultural and legal challenges. We propose a conceptual framework for the appropriate, sustainable and self-sustaining growth of the sector and end with policy and research recommendations to support growth.

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Notes

  1. https://mailchi.mp/17e7c7cfcd8e/our-north-our-future-enewsletter?e=102a3e540d

  2. This included the establishment of Indigenous Business Australia in 2005 (see https://www.iba.gov.au/strategicplan/).

  3. In 2005 the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Social Justice Commissioner urged the government to commit to achieving equality for ATSI people (with non-ATSI Australians) in health and life expectancy within 25 years (see https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/history).

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA), funded the project with CSIRO and James Cook University as part of the one-year project AT.2.1718054 ‘Building the Traditional Owner-led Bush Products Sector’. For further information about this wider project see https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/LWF/Areas/Pathways/Indigenous-futures/Indigenous-NRM/Indigenous-bush-products. We also acknowledge the critical in-kind support provided to the project from CSIRO, James Cook University, the Kimberley Land Council, the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre, Girringun Aboriginal Corporation, IN-Group Investments and Australian Native Foods and Botanicals. We thank the project partners and the Indigenous Steering Committee: Gerry Turpin (Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre), Phil Rist (Girringun Aboriginal Corporation), Dwayne Rowland (IN-Group Investments), Phoebe Martin (Kimberley Land Council) and Russell Glover (Australian Native Foods and Botanicals). We thank Drs. Taryn Kong and Peci Lyons (CSIRO) and (2 or 3) anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments that much improved the paper.

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  1. College of Business, Law and Governance, James Cook University, Smithfield Campus, Room 216, Building A001, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia

    Diane Jarvis

  2. CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Rd, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia

    Kirsten Maclean

  3. CSIRO Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Underwood Ave, Floreat, WA, 6014, Australia

    Emma Woodward

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  1. Diane Jarvis
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Jarvis, D., Maclean, K. & Woodward, E. The Australian Indigenous-led bush products sector: Insights from the literature and recommendations for the future. Ambio 51, 226–240 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01542-w

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