How can the Indigenous bush food industry benefit from mapping?
The native bush food industry in Australia is currently worth a staggering AUD $20 million. This number comes as no surprise as the demand for authentic, ethically-sourced bush foods and products from forage farming continues to increase, but Indigenous participation in this space only amounts to 2%.
There is a lot to love about the bush food industry, including how it offers opportunities in farm diversification and allows for the development of sustainable agriculture due to its foraging and regenerative nature, but bush foods in Australia have historically proven to be difficult to commercialise due to their lack of existing production systems and a gradually evolving consumer market.
Additionally, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries identified that under-capitalisation, high costs of production and unclear incorporation of Indigenous interests contribute to the challenges being faced in the Australian bush food industry.
Some of these challenges can be addressed through the implementation of appropriate tools and technologies that the matured Australian agriculture industry has been using for many years - particularly mapping technologies. So how can Indigenous-owned bush food businesses use the same technology to yield better results?
How mapping technology can help the Australian native bush food industry
Mapping technology gives growers the ability to monitor areas remotely, reducing the amount of manual labour and time that is required to manage their farms and crops. For example, satellites and drones collect data on vegetation height and biomass, the presence of disease and weeds, topography and elevations, and changes to the weather. Mapping can also help educate people about native bush foods. We have explored some of these use cases below.
Vegetation height and biomass
Information such as vegetation biomass and the health of crops can be used to understand and predict future crop yield, ensuring farmers make informed decisions about transportation and storage requirements.
This also ensures a more reliable method of forecasting profitability into the future.
The current demand for bush tomato is largely being met by the wild harvest sector and therefore operates under climatic, cultural, geographic and economic constraints. The wild harvest sector is only predicted to meet demand in the short term and mapping tools that can record vegetation biomass and predict crop yields are essential for the expansion of this industry.
Weed mapping
Many bush food growers are impacted by the risk of inconsistent and unreliable plant material yielded from native crops due to weed invasion. Weed species often interrupt the growth of seedlings and prevent them reaching reproductive maturity.
The Davidson’s Plum, for example, is threatened by the Lantana and Camphor Laurel weed species. Unskilled clearing of these weeds previously has caused damage to both Davidson’s Plum individual plants and habitats. A sophisticated method of weed mapping is beneficial to caring for these habitats into the future.
Topography and elevation
Many native Australian foods have specific requirements in topography, elevation and ground surfaces in order to thrive.
Lemon myrtle is a medium-sized perennial tree that requires site planning to ensure easy mechanical access all year round. Successful harvesting relies on careful 1.5 metre spacing between plants and 3.5 metre spacing between plant rows, as well as flat and free-draining ground.
Mapping technology provides the tools needed to monitor these changes in topography and streamline the processes involved in managing a crop's elevation and changes to soil.
Education around bush foods
Australian Native Food and Botanicals (ANFAB) is the national body representing all interests in the Australian native food and botanical sector. The purpose of the ANFAB is to support Traditional Owners’ engagement with the native foods sector and to facilitate research and innovation. The ANFAB is an excellent first point of contact for research and education into the bush food industry.
In 2019, Winyama hosted the Indigenous Mapping Workshop Australia, where a set of downloadable map icons were produced. These icons were primarily agricultural in nature and were developed to help Indigenous communities map cultural and natural resources using Google’s mapping tools.
Are you currently working in the bush foods industry and want to start mapping?
Winyama is passionate about empowering Indigenous Australians in spaces of digital and cultural significance.
Winyama offers services in land management mapping and orthomosaics through the use of fit for purpose earth observation technologies such as satellite data, drones, airborne platforms and Internet of Things devices. Contact our team to discuss how Winyama can help you on your journey.