10/12/2025
As One Nyitting Ltd team (Robert, Zoe and Danny) convened on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country in Melbourne last month for the 5th International Conference on Food Analysis (ICFA). Our attendance would not have been possible without some good people walking with us including Kate O’Connor from DPIRD for recognising the importance of Noongar representation, and for supporting our attendance; To our friends Manjree Agarwal from ChemCentre WA (CCWA) and Paul Saeki from NAAKPA for the inviting us. We would also like to acknowledge the ICFA organisers and sponsors for providing the platform.
Robert and Zoe lead Day 2, Session 5 “Bush Food and International Trade” with their presentation on ‘Safeguarding Ancient Bush Tea’ through Culture. Robert opened with an acknowledgement of Country, and paying homage to his Dad Trevor Davis before recognising the expertise and learnings shared and inviting the experts in the room to learn from AONL. Zoe shared the significant responsibility AONL has as custodians of an ancestral bush tea recipe passed down from her Nan and the importance of protecting and keeping secret the plant species used from biopiracy and mainstream exploitation that is harming Country. AONL, through the ‘Tree to Tea’ process are guiding ChemCentre WA, with support from a DPIRD grant, to deliver on a chemical analysis of AONL’s six bush tea blends to be able to share through this analysis, what our ancestors have known for millennia, that our bush tea is safe, reliable and has an abundance of healing properties.
There were many takeaways for AONL as a Noongar social enterprise, being present in a room of scientists within the food analysis industry. An industry that regards our bush foods, botanicals including our ancient Djilz Bush Tea as “new” or “novel”. This was a profound realisation for us, knowing the foods and medicines from Country that our people have used, consumed, prepared, harvested for millennia can be associated with such terms as “new” or “novel”. New to who? Whose knowledge is privileged by this classification and why? Do we need to reconsider these definitions as this knowledge is neither “new” or “novel” to the oldest continuing culture of earth represented in the room.
There is a clear urgency for greater First Nations representation, including First Scientists and Elders who have grown up with the gifts from Country. Our ancient knowledge holders, custodians are the rightful beneficiaries from any “new” products developed from this knowledge. We only need to look at the rapidly expanding Bush Food & Botanical industry in Australia to understand the magnitude of the challenge, an industry built on our knowledge, First Nations representation around 2%. How can this be and where are the shared benefit agreements?
This paradigm needs to change, and AONL hopes to be part of this change through the safeguarding of our Djilz Bush Tea along with our supporters, partners and community for future generations. We are grateful for the opportunity to be present, to listen, learn and yarn, and to impart some of our ancient wisdom, and invite you to connect with us.
