Objective
This project will develop plant varieties to make horticultural production of bush foods more efficient and profitable. The focus is on sustained growth of value with the Bush Tomato trade as a case study, increased business opportunities for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, strategies for safeguarding Intellectual Property based on Traditional Knowledge, and greater returns for the genetic resources that are used commercially.
Summary
Most of the key aspects of Bush Tomato production processes, from grower to market to retailer, are already understood.
Researchers and industry participants now better understand stocks and flows of Bush Tomatoes across value chains over time; the main sources of product, trading and sales points; the trade-offs between wild harvest and horticultural production for consistency of volume and quality of supply; as well as benefits to Aboriginal people.
Essential research has also described the situation of Aboriginal people in the value chain and the equity share (benefit) they get from the commercial industry.
Biological research has revealed much about the production performance of wild-type specimens under horticultural conditions, as well as storage management and phytochemistry, the genetic range and plasticity of Bush Tomato grown from seedlings. This has contributed to growth strategies for the product and industry.
The Plant Business research will develop the horticultural, fruit quality and genetic understanding and engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups in consultation about plant improvement with a view to gaining approval for the use of plant varieties developed from defined geographic locations.
A significant parallel theme of the research is a detailed analysis of the variety of approaches available for safeguarding the Intellectual Property associated with Traditional Knowledge being commercially utilised. Strategies including conventional legal approaches, Plant Breeders Rights, and trademarks, but also fair trade, certification schemes and other ethical marketing avenues, will be explored.
Recommendations will be developed to suit different commercialisation situations.
Outputs
- Genetic collection of Bush Tomato selections established as intellectual property (IP) in trust for Aboriginal owners.
- New horticulturally suitable plant varieties that are more likely to be economically profitable under cropping.
- IP rights for varieties leading to licences for the use of best lines.
- Alternative strategies for protection of IP associated with Traditional Knowledge.
- Training material to support the establishment of small businesses (if applicable).
- Education: at least two postgraduate students.
- Aboriginal researchers trained to continue to develop plant varieties for commercial benefit.
- Reports, papers, and products in other media to effectively communicate the results with stakeholders.
Impacts
The engagement of Aboriginal people in the Bush Tomato industry, as well as the pioneering of a model which can be used for the development of other plant-based economies.
Models for safeguarding commonly held IP to ensure return of benefits from utilisation of Traditional Knowledge is maximised.
Costed impacts include:
- new plantings of up to 20 ha of high yielding and quality Bush Tomatoes
- new jobs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- returns from licences to use protected plant varieties.
Principal Research Leader
Slade Lee
email: slade.lee@scu.edu.au
phone: +61 419 474 251
Slade is Principal Research Leader Plant Business.
He works at Southern Cross University and has 30 years' experience as a research scientist in horticulture, crop agronomy, plant genetics and plant breeding.
Previous roles include managing Queensland University of Technology's Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities, directing operations at the Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics at Southern Cross University and working as a molecular geneticist at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
