This document discusses strategies for seed banks to better support the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in relation to bush food development, seed collection and knowledge sharing. It proposes registering custodians of seeds and knowledge collected from traditional lands. For seeds from lands without custodial rights, it suggests extending registration to native title claimants. It also discusses ensuring agreements are in place for use of non-public knowledge and paying knowledge providers for use of public knowledge. The overall aim is for seed banks to be leaders in supporting Indigenous interests in developing native plants and knowledge.

1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interests
in bush food development
overlaps with seed bank operations

2. recent research
diverse interests
use or provide seeds
use or provide knowledge

3. recent researchStrategies to support the interests of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples in bush food development

5. diverse
interests
conserve
maintain
control
payment
benefit-sharing
skills
partnerships
participation
respect

6. seed bank interests
conservation
research
collection
disseminate
facilitate
international

7. Support when seed banks
use or provide seeds

8. Collected from
Aboriginal and
Torres Strait
Islander land
Custodians enter
agreement with
collector
Collector
deposits seeds
into seed bank
Seed bank uses
or provides
access to seeds

9. NNTT © 2015

10. Gaps in this context
Some seeds
collected
before land
rights
70% of land
not subject to
rights to
control
access
Few
agreements

11. Seeds not subject to agreement
1. Link
seeds to
lands
2. Invite
custodians
to register
details
3. Compile
traditional
owner
register
4. Help
custodians
develop
protocols
5. Require
users to
negotiate
with
custodians
6. Issue
compliant
users with
certificate

12. Strategy vests rights in the
custodians of the land each
seed comes from

13. Seeds collected from lands not
subject to custodian rights
• Some claims are
contested
• Some claims are
rejected
Extend register
to native title
claimants and
ILUA parties

14. Support when seed banks
use or provide knowledge

15. Types
Origins
Uses
Properties
Classifications
Techniques
Methods

16. Users of knowledge
Researchers
Identify uses and
properties, advance
conservation
Natural
resource
managers
Advance
conservation
Pharmaceutical
sector
Small R&D
programs
Seed, crop,
biotechnology
sector
Concern over risks,
rely on other to
collect
Botanicals,
cosmetic,
personal care
and food sector
Public knowledge to
advance goals

17. Questions in this context
Law distinguishes
between non-public
and public knowledge

18. Through agreements with Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander knowledge providers

19. Implied agreements

20. Written agreements

21. Biological resource laws

22. Questions in this context
How can seed banks better support the
interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples in their
non-public knowledge?

23. Seeds not subject to agreement
1. Require
agreements
2. Pay for
knowledge
3. Invite
peoples to
share
knowledge
4. Create
knowledge
register
5. Make use
or access
dependent
on consent
6. Issue
compliant
users with a
certificate

24. A note on this option
Only supports the interests of knowledge
providers
Seed bank may verify capacity to share
knowledge with the larger group

25. Questions in this context
Support for interests
in public knowledge

26. When the knowledge is subject to a patent
held by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person

27. Remove some
knowledge from
free public
access
Add public
knowledge to
register and
make access
dependent on
payment into
fund
Work with
Aboriginal and
Torres Strait
Islander peoples
to allocate funds

28. A note on this option
Make payments tax deductible
Issues certificates for CSR

29. Difficult for lawto support some interests
No one-size-fits-all solution

30. Australian seed banks as leaders in
the fair and equitable development of
native plants and Indigenous knowledge