A collaboration to explore farming futures with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Ag2050’s Caring for Country work package takes a relationship-first approach, where building trust and understanding with Indigenous partners is the runway for all subsequent activities.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture, and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation. 

Acknowledgement of artist and artwork 

‘Journeys’ by Bree Buttenshaw (Little Butten) 

This artwork starts with a star, representing an oncoming Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island person into their team. This person brings their own knowledge and experiences to CSIRO.

As they journey through the different pathways provided by CSIRO they continue to grow. This is represented by the star getting bigger and more complex designs. The star is surrounded by other shining stars who influence and support their growth and development.

The star is always surrounded by others, they are part of a larger, supportive network.

This story takes place in the night sky, reflecting CSIRO’s exploration and research of sciences.

The star, continues on its journey, moving off the picture plane. Growth and the pathways that take us there are not defined by a single moment. Our learning journeys are forever expanding, shifting and growing. 

Bree Buttenshaw is a proud Kalkadoon woman living on Quandamooka Country. Bree mixes traditional and contemporary art together to create unique stories. She is inspired by her environment and her art reflects her feelings and experiences. 

Project partnership

The Ag2050 Scenarios Report project was led by CSIRO with financial and in-kind support from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). CSIRO would like to acknowledge DAFF’s contribution as an advocate of co-design, connecting with industry to ensure their involvement, and for bringing policy insights to the co-design process. View the Ag2050 Scenarios report.

CSIRO Agriculture and Food

CSIRO’s work in agriculture and food is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology to build a profitable, productive, trusted and sustainable agrifood and fibre sector for the future. Working with CSIRO provides access to world-class multidisciplinary science, technology and facilities, relevant intellectual property and global networks across the value chain (from gene to the plate). Our people and partnerships span Australia and 25 countries, fostering a shared vision to create measurable economic, environmental and social impact, and delivering new pathways and new technologies for the future.

Positionality Statement

This initiative is led by a multi-cultural science team that strives to uphold principles of inclusion, diversity, belonging and equity. These principles ensure commitment to CSIRO’s Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property Framework and guides how science is conducted in culturally diverse contexts.

Ethics clearance

The CSIRO Social and Interdisciplinary Science Human Research Ethics Committee (CSSHREC) has granted ethics clearance for the period from 1st June 2024 to 30th June 2027.

Introduction

The Ag2050 Caring for Country Initiative promotes Indigenous science and engagement, ensuring Indigenous perspectives are not only heard but actively shape the future of Australian agri-food system research and development.

Caring for Country is about caring for land, seas and waters as well as all living things and the Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices and responsibilities related to this. A healthy Country means a healthy people (Janke, 2021).

Ag2050 is a multi-disciplinary science portfolio that uses futures thinking to better understand plausible farm futures. After extensive collaboration with over 100 participants, four plausible and likely scenarios were generated showing significant trends, risks, opportunities and actions needed to support Australian farming systems’ productivity, resilience and sustainability into the future.

During the preliminary phase of Ag2050, we identified gaps in our engagement efforts. We specifically acknowledge the absence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices in our initial discussions. It is clear that a one-size-fits-all approach to stakeholder engagement is insufficient. Engaging meaningfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples requires dedicated time and culturally-centred methodologies. Furthermore, initial feedback received from Indigenous partners concluded the four plausible scenarios do not provide a complete account of real-world impacts on Indigenous agri-futures, rather they are useful lenses to begin conversations on the inherent nature, conditions and assumptions that underpin each future. Furthermore, it was recognised substantive engagement is required to further validate the four plausible futures and identify an Indigenous-led scenario.

Project aim

This project aims to see Indigenous knowledge, expertise and innovation form a key part of Australian farming, leading the way in how we grow our food sustainably and improve the holistic wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples and Country.

Key objectives

This project takes a relationship-first approach and aims to:

• build high-trust relationships with Indigenous partners interested in agriculture and food production systems.
• establish partnership frameworks with relevant partners.  
• engage in conversations with partners to understand Indigenous Futures in agriculture
• generate insights and scenarios that can effectively guide science investment decisions in CSIRO Agriculture & Food BU for future years (2030, 2040, 2050).

Indigenous governance and leadership

This nationally focused Indigenous-led science project is stewarded by Indigenous Science Officer Mr Torres Webb with partners from CSIRO’s Agriculture & Food and Health & Biosecurity teams. An Indigenous Steering Committee has been established with individuals from a range of skills and experience. This committee guides the direction of the Ag2050 Caring for Country initiative and informs culturally appropriate engagement. CSIRO would like to acknowledge and thank Steering Committee members for their generous time, support and leadership.

• Ms Natalie Sommerville – President of Aus Women in Ag
• Ms Nini Mills – CEO of Nyamba Buru Yawuru Ltd
• Mr Darryl Lyons – Co-Founder of Rainstick
• Mr Alex Ibarra – Managing Director Indigi-Green Farms
• Mr Joshua Gilbert – Indigenous Consultant & Agriculturist
• Mr Torres Webb – Indigenous Scientist, CSIRO

Impact statement

An increased sense of belonging for Indigenous Peoples within agri-food systems of Australia.

Project timelines and deliverables

The project is funded till 1^st of July 2027 with sector wide Ag2050 engagements running till July 2026.

 Our deliverables:

• shared narratives on Indigenous futures in Agriculture.
• Indigenous agri-food science and engagement investment framework for 2030, 2040 and 2050.
• partnership frameworks across Industry Government and Community across key priorities.
• an Indigenous Science Committee in the A&F BU to promote, guide and advance strategic investment priorities beyond 2027.

Ag2050 Caring for Country Project Team members

  Mr Torres Webb – Strategy & Engagement

  Mr Zaynel Sushil – Agriculture & Food

  Dr Lorraine Bell – Health & Biosecurity

  Ms Marni Williams – Agriculture & Food

  Dr Rose Roche – Principal Research Scientist Ag2050

  Dr Jen Taylor – Acting Director A&F Business Unit

Related projects of interest within CSIRO

It takes a one-CSIRO approach to achieve our desired impact. We have a few and growing examples of research with Indigenous partners, for more information visit Indigenous Science and Engagement program or:

Indigenous seasonal calendars

Living STEM program

Native Secrets – Indigenous Enterprise

Healthy Country AI & Digital program

Low input Prawn Farming in Tiwi Islands.

Stay connected

If you would like to receive further information including regular e-updates, invitations to events and opportunities to collaborate, please contact ag2050@csiro.au.

References

Janke T, Cumpston Z, Hill R, Woodward E, Harkness P & von Gavel S & Morrison J (2021).

Australia state of the environment 2021: Indigenous, independent report to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, DOI: 10.26194/3JDV-NH67.