In 2013 Outback Academy Australia was officially formed as a not-for-profit majority led Aboriginal organisation. In 2014 the OAA leadership team put a proposition to the SW WA Economic Development Forum, based on the Fairtrade business model:
“What if we collaborated rather than compete as an ethical and authentic supply chain movement?”
Outback Academy had a close relationship with Australia’s first Fairtrade coffee company owner Wells Trenfield, Jasper Coffee. The leadership team could see the benefits of alliance-based supply chain business, particularly for those seeking to break a cycle of poverty and dependence on others for economic, social, cultural and environmental change.
First Nations farmers had few resources or the total expertise needed to drive agricultural and horticultural business to scale. Farmers were also seeking sustainable commercialisation that would regenerate Country and communities – regenerative farming. Many were concerned about the use of traditional ecological knowledge and cultural product in commercialisation for example, bush foods and botanicals – a market dominated by non-Aboriginal business owners.
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