Research Themes and Major Projects

Bush Harvest: sustainability of small-scale commercial bush harvest

This project investigates the environmental, economic, social and cultural sustainability of bush food harvesting and micro-enterprise in Central Australia. Its goal is to contribute to better income, employment and livelihoods for Aboriginal harvesters and custodians of bush foods in desert Australia.

Non-Aboriginal/Western interest in bush foods is increasing. The bush food industry is growing and the market for bush food products is also expanding rapidly. In Central Australia, the commercial harvest of bush foods from natural populations has a relatively recent history, although the customary harvest of bush foods has been happening for thousands of years.

Almost all the desert raisins (akatyerre, yakajirri, kampurarpa, Solanum centrale) and acacia seeds (including, nyterrm, kalkarti) supplied to the national bush foods industry come from Central Australia. This stock is almost exclusively hand harvested by Aboriginal women using traditional knowledge and harvesting methods. A crucial link between Aboriginal harvesters and the national bush foods industry are local, desert based non-Aboriginal wholesalers. These wholesalers operate micro-enterprises that engage effectively and productively with harvesters. In 2005-06 this project looked at the roles and perspectives of bush food wholesalers in Central Australia. It also set the groundwork for strong engagement with Aboriginal harvesters for the period 2006-09:

Why, how and where, is bush harvesting happening.
Who is involved?
How are plants and land managed?
What do harvesters find important about the use and sale of bush products?
How can opportunities for Aboriginal harvesters improve?
How sustainable is bush harvesting?

This project is part of the Desert Knowledge CRC’s Bush Produce research with integrated subprojects aligned to various points along the economic value chain.

Intended Outputs:

Increase employment of Aboriginal people in bush produce industry research, development and enterprise
Greater recognition of the roles and values of desert Aboriginal people in the bush foods industry
Improve understanding of the bush produce industry
Build Aboriginal capacity to engage with the industry
Contribute to community development, cultural and natural resource management and industry development
Booklets, reports, maps, brochures, and other media for diverse audiences

Research Team: Josie Douglas, Fiona Walsh (CSIRO)

Partners: Desert Knowledge CRC (Core Project 2.1), Central Land Council

Duration: 2006-09