NAAKPA Bushfood Darwin Workshop
Strengthening Aboriginal Bushfood Enterprises with technical and supply chain support.
Workshop Overview: Strengthening Aboriginal Bushfood Enterprises
The Northern Australia Aboriginal Kakadu Plum Alliance Cooperative (NAAKPA) is a registered Cooperative governed by six Aboriginal Corporations, each representing traditional owner groups across Northern Australia. Since its establishment in 2018, NAAKPA has been a driving force in supporting Aboriginal-led enterprises to harvest, process, market and export bushfoods from their homelands.
This workshop is designed for Aboriginal Corporations in the Northern Territory who are actively involved in—or exploring—traditional food harvesting. It will spotlight NAAKPA’s progress in building traditional owner supply chains, share lessons learned, and explore emerging opportunities and challenges in the Australian native food sector.
Participants will also hear from key NAAKPA collaborators, including:
· The National Measurement Institute (NMI)
· Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)
· NT Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
· Maddarr Aboriginal Corporation's Native Tea Promotion at World Expo, Osaka
· UNSW experts on Protocols, Access & Benefit Sharing, Kakadu Plum Patents
These presentations will offer insights into scientific, regulatory, and technical innovations that support provenance, quality assurance, and market access for bushfoods as well as identifying cultural considerations.
A light lunch is available from 12:30pm
Strengthening Aboriginal Bushfood Enterprises with technical and supply chain support.
Workshop Overview: Strengthening Aboriginal Bushfood Enterprises
The Northern Australia Aboriginal Kakadu Plum Alliance Cooperative (NAAKPA) is a registered Cooperative governed by six Aboriginal Corporations, each representing traditional owner groups across Northern Australia. Since its establishment in 2018, NAAKPA has been a driving force in supporting Aboriginal-led enterprises to harvest, process, market and export bushfoods from their homelands.
This workshop is designed for Aboriginal Corporations in the Northern Territory who are actively involved in—or exploring—traditional food harvesting. It will spotlight NAAKPA’s progress in building traditional owner supply chains, share lessons learned, and explore emerging opportunities and challenges in the Australian native food sector.
Participants will also hear from key NAAKPA collaborators, including:
· The National Measurement Institute (NMI)
· Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)
· NT Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
· Maddarr Aboriginal Corporation's Native Tea Promotion at World Expo, Osaka
· UNSW experts on Protocols, Access & Benefit Sharing, Kakadu Plum Patents
These presentations will offer insights into scientific, regulatory, and technical innovations that support provenance, quality assurance, and market access for bushfoods as well as identifying cultural considerations.
A light lunch is available from 12:30pm
Good to know
Highlights
- 3 hours 30 minutes
- In person
Location
Neptuna and Mavie function rooms, Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront
7 Kitchener Drive
Darwin City, NT 0800
How do you want to get there?
Agenda
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Welcome to Country
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Northern Australia Aboriginal Kakadu Plum Alliance Cooperative Activities
This presentation offers an overview of the Australian native food sector and the journey of the Northern Australia Aboriginal Kakadu Plum Alliance Cooperative (NAAKPA). Established in 2018 and governed by six Aboriginal Corporations, NAAKPA supports traditional owner-led bushfood enterprises across Northern Australia. The session will highlight NAAKPA’s initiatives in provenance and traceability, including scientific & regulatory tools to protect cultural knowledge and ensure product integrity. It will also outline upcoming activities for the 2026 harvest season, with a focus on strengthening supply chains, enhancing market access, and supporting community-led wild harvest operations. Participants will gain insights into available technical resources and collaborative opportunities that align with cultural values and enterprise development. This presentation is ideal for Aboriginal Corporations and stakeholders committed to growing ethical, and culturally grounded bushfood enterprises
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Elemental fingerprinting technology and its application to bushfood provenance
Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), in partnership with the Northern Australia Aboriginal Kakadu Plum Alliance (NAAKPA), has applied advanced nuclear and isotopic techniques to authenticate traditional Aboriginal products like Kakadu Plum. Their method identifies the unique environmental “fingerprint” absorbed by plants and animals, enabling origin and production verification across a wide range of foods—from seafood and meat to grains and fruit—with over 85% accuracy. This approach combines isotopic analysis with machine learning to support provenance, quality assurance, and market trust. At the workshop, ANSTO will demonstrate a portable handheld X-ray device, scanning Kakadu Plum samples to show how this technology can be used in the field to support traceability and integrity in bushfood supply chains.