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The Kakadu plum has been harvested by First Nations people for tens of thousands of years across northern Australia. Now the burgeoning industry is being shaped on country by Indigenous-led businesses, writes ALECIA WOOD.

- ALECIA WOOD

Kabinyn. Madoor. Kerewey. Murunga. Gubinge. The many Indigenous language terms for the native fruit, most commonly known as the Kakadu plum in English, reflect the epic spread of its wild-growing trees, stretching from the Dampier Peninsula in Western Australia along the Northern Territory coastline and into far north Queensland.

There may be steadily growing interest in Australian native ingredients, but the tart, green Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) has seen particular attention thanks to its crowning as one of the world’s most potent natural sources of vitamin C. To fight off the common cold, many will reach for an immune boost by way of oranges; the size of a walnut, the Kakadu plum boasts 50 times more vitamin C than that humble citrus.

The mid-2000s saw an international patent application for Kakadu plum extract by cosmetics giant Mary Kay; the American company had been adding it to their TimeWise range as a skin-repairing antioxidant. The patent was rejected within Australia following challenges from the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation.

Biopiracy – patents or intellectual property control based on biological resources and/or traditional knowledge, extracted without suitable consent or benefit-sharing, often from Indigenous communities – is nothing new, but this case highlighted a risk for the coveted Kakadu plum and broader concerns for ensuring Indigenous Australians’ traditional knowledge is protected and benefits its owners if used.