The development of an Australian Indigenous-led bush products sector presents opportunities for Indigenous Australians to create new livelihoods, and build on existing enterprises, based on their unique knowledge systems and long established socio-cultural and environmental management practices. This review draws on Australian literature from 2005 to 2018 to establish a better understanding of the benefits that could result from the development of this sector in northern Australia; identify the key challenges that need to be addressed to facilitate sector development; and identify possible solutions. Insights reveal that while there are significant, and potentially self-sustaining opportunities offered by the development of the sector, these are unlikely to be realised without appropriate actions to resolve knowledge and skills gaps and address significant social, cultural and legal challenges. We propose a conceptual framework for the appropriate, sustainable and self-sustaining growth of the sector and end with policy and research recommendations to support growth.
Keywords: Benefits trade-offs and challenges; Bush products; Indigenous cultural and intellectual property (ICIP); Indigenous enterprise and economic development; Indigenous knowledge; Social and cultural benefits.
© 2021. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.