Baseline Study - Agricultural Capacity of the Indigenous Estate

Abstract

The purpose of the situational analysis is to attain a better understanding of the relationship between First Nations primary production enterprises and the larger Australian primary industries, focusing primarily on agriculture.

The study identifies that: - While a significant amount of primary production occurs on the First Nations Estate, a significant majority of this is not undertaken by First Nations primary production enterprises. - There is still a relatively small, but emerging and unique First Nations primary production industry that is diverse, increasingly financially sustainable, and delivering significant cultural, environmental and social benefits to local First Nations communities. - There is opportunity to grow the First Nations primary production industry so that it makes a significant and unique contribution to the growth targets of Australian primary industries – beyond what the agricultural industry or the Australian Government have contemplated.

To achieve this mutually beneficial outcome for Australia’s First Nations people and their agricultural industry, a concerted effort needs to be made to better understand: - the nature and extent of agricultural production that takes place on the Indigenous Estate, - the nature and extent of the First Nations primary production industry; opportunities to accelerate First Nations agricultural capability development, - attraction of social impact and other Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) oriented investment to the emerging sector.

This effort needs to be overseen and driven by a multi-stakeholder, mission-oriented industry development governance framework.

Key recommendations include: 1. Establish adequately reliable agricultural, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry economic data pertaining to the Indigenous Estate and Indigenous primary production enterprises. 2. Develop a portfolio of positive First Nations primary industries case studies to generate stakeholder (including investor) confidence in the First Nations primary industry sectors. 3. Engage with the global social impact investment sector to develop a framework for identifying potential flow across First Nations primary production in Australia. 4. Establish a First Nations primary industries taskforce to develop strategies and initiatives to: a) identify opportunities, and activate primary production from underutilised areas of the Indigenous Estate. b) ​​​​​​identify and advocate for changes to legislation as necessary to optimally facilitate increased production from the Indigenous Estate and ESG collaborations. c) identify opportunities and develop strategies to optimise market access, enter new markets and develop new products