Aboriginal leaders and researchers are calling for stronger protections to ensure Indigenous people have greater control over traditional foods and the knowledge connected to them.
The push has been outlined in commentaries published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, bringing together the views of six Aboriginal academics and one non-Indigenous researcher with expertise in bush foods, traditional Indigenous medicines, policy and law.
As Australia's native food industry continues to grow, the authors argue that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must have a genuine say in how native foods are accessed, used and commercialised, while also sharing more fairly in the benefits.
Lead author Dr Luke Williams, a Gumbaynggirr man from northern New South Wales and a University of Queensland researcher, said native plants remain deeply connected to Aboriginal identity, health and culture.
"Access to our traditionally used plant sources have been vastly eroded by colonisation," Dr Williams said.
"Many Indigenous people have been displaced from their traditional lands, natural resources have been destroyed or control has been taken away, and knowledge systems around how best to maintain and use these resources is increasingly lost.
"Climate change is also creating a new threat for our natural plant resources."
He said improving access to traditional foods could deliver cultural, health and economic benefits for communities.
"Greater access and resourcing to help our communities access and develop traditionally used native foods would offer a range of benefits," Dr Williams said.
"It provides opportunities to be active and moving around on Country, a mechanism for youth to be learning culture from Elders, eating healthy foods, and caring for Country.
"There are also economic opportunities that can be developed from the sale and development of native plants and botanicals."
Dr Williams also raised concerns about the way Indigenous knowledge is being used within a fast-growing commercial sector, saying Aboriginal communities are seeing very little of the financial return.
"Native foods are a $100-million-dollar industry in Australia - well-known examples include ingredients like lemon myrtle, Davidson plum, finger lime, wattle seed and Kakadu plum," he said.
"A 2020 report looking at 13 native plants, all of which have a long history of use in Aboriginal communities, estimated that the industry would be worth $140 million in 2025.
"Yet, it is estimated that a minuscule amount, less than 1% of industry revenue, goes to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities."
He also pointed to Black-cladding as a major issue.
"The most outrageous thing we hear about is Black-cladding - where non-Indigenous companies use Aboriginal art or words that imply community involvement or engagement," Dr. Williams said.
"We need strong government action now to protect against this cultural appropriation, so that consumers can make informed decisions when purchasing these products."
The authors are calling for laws to ban misleading Indigenous branding, the creation of a certification mark for genuine Indigenous products, an Indigenous-led national industry body, and regional hubs to support local bush food businesses.
