Indigenous communities taking the bushfood industry high-tech

A University of Queensland project is using technology to create a native food value chain to ensure Indigenous communities and businesses benefit from the thriving bushfood industry.

Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa, director of UQ’s ARC Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods  said the food value chain brings together Indigenous knowledge, science and technology.

“We’ve been working on this project with our Indigenous Enterprise Group and software development company Smart Trade Networks,” Professor Sultanbawa said.

“This is a global first - enabling communities to take the lead, get a premium quality product and access to national and international markets.”

The value chain covers any bushfood product from conception, through the production process to the delivery to the consumer.

The project aims to ensure Indigenous businesses and communities have benefit sharing agreements in place, to ensure they have capacity to upscale as demand increases.

Indigenous Enterprise Group chair, Jagera, Yugambeh and Githabul woman Madonna Thomson said the rest of the world was realising the commercial and economic viability of bushfood.

“Our communities need to be shaping this industry or there’s a risk they could become marginalised as others begin to buy and grow native plants on a larger scale,” Ms Thomson said.

“It’s not just about how much money people can make but recognising the importance of Australia’s Indigenous communities and the cultural connection they have to the bush.

“This project will create equity, provenance and protection for our communities and businesses that harvest native bushfoods.”

Smart Trade Network Chair Warwick Powell said an app had been developed to allow communities to upload their knowledge on Country.

“The digitalisation of Australian agriculture, particularly in areas where provenance value is central to the long-term competitive value proposition, is hugely important,” Mr Powell said.

“I’m very happy to have communities we have worked with over the past decade joining us on this journey and putting Australia’s Indigenous communities on the map,” she said.

This project is funded with a National Agriculture Traceability Grant from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Images and video are available via Dropbox.

Media contacts: Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa, y.sultanbawa@uq.edu.au; +61 455 934 640; Madonna Thomson, admin@nyandaculturaltours.com.au, +61 435 795 337; QAAFI Media, Natalie MacGregor, n.macgregor@uq.edu.au, +61 409 135 651.

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