Marking Five Years of Accomplishment
ANFIL is a national organisation representing the interests of people and businesses involved in the Native plant food industry – traditional and new indigenous plant products.
These products are finding their way into the kitchens and pantries of innovative cooks and chefs around the country and overseas, bringing with them new flavours and aromas, nutritional benefits and economic opportunities.
The challenges are many, not least educating the dining and cooking public in the many advantages offered by these unique new products. Think Akudjera Salsa, Lemon myrtle shortbread, Native Pepperberry Ice cream, Desert Lime Cheesecake and Riberry Yoghurt. These are all out there, and much more besides!
While indigenous Australians have an ancient, proud tradition of using many of these berries, tubers, leaves and other plant parts in their diets over many thousands of years, the mainstream culture is only just beginning to appreciate them, and come up with new ways to enjoy them! Then there are the spices and herbs – dried berries and leaves which provide unusual flavour profiles as well as exciting beneficial constituents we are only just beginning to identify.
As a ‘Peak Body’, ANFIL is able to canvas, and represent the views of its membership to Government, through contributions and submissions to various policy processes. We also have a fruitful working relationship with RIRDC, the Federal research management and funding organisation, with whom we have developed our research plan, and many aspects of our strategic planning.
In its most ambitious area of activity ANFIL has overseen a vibrant and eclectic research effort in the 5 years since our constitution, with projects completed or continuing in such diverse areas as:
- Positioning native foods squarely in the market by securing recognition of their traditional status by Food Standards of Australia and New Zealand.
- Two studies of the nutritionally beneficial constituents (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals etc), of a dozen or so priority species – many exciting results here!
- A study of the implications of international food standards codes for export of native food products – the vision is for an outward, export oriented industry – we need to know the challenges in order to tackle them.
- Development of a ‘flavour wheel’ by an expert panel of food tasters, to help chefs and producers describe their products with a common lexicon – just like the wine tasting guides – only more nutritious.
- Collating the known research, marketing and production information into a set of online ‘datasheets’ – the ANFIL Flavour of the Month project – see these on the ANFIL website.
- A set of video presentations of more than 30 recipes to be used in training young chefs in TAFE Colleges around Australia – training the leaders to be familiar and confident with Australia’s own indigenous ingredients.
- Agronomic projects investigating production and management strategies for orchard production of wild food species – moving wild species into cultivation will protect our natural heritage and secure the production advantage before it goes overseas.
- Studies of packaging and storage strategies and materials to maximise quality and shelf life of native food ingredients.
- Defining product standards to prevent adulteration,
- Analysing the nutrients in the products so manufacturers can generate nutritional panels online, with confidence,
- Supporting studies of the preservative properties of some native herbs for the Seafood Industry – blends of native herbs help lengthen shelf life and add flavour complexity at the same time!
- A National Conference held in Adelaide in 2010 in conjunction with Tasting Australia, a huge national food event.
All this work has been achieved through a unique mix of individual, corporate and Government financial support, plus a huge quotient of voluntary work by the members of the various committees that ANFIL maintains.
We have a special relationship with the Coles Indigenous Food Fund, which contributes money derived from sales of native food ingredients directly into the research program, where it is matched with contributions from growers, from research providers and RIRDC giving us maximum mileage from our resources.
So it has been a first 5 years filled with accomplishment, and at the same time, simply a small beginning for a new Australian rural industry holding so much promise and potential. All of us involved with ANFIL have the opportunity to participate and contribute to something very worthy and exciting. And this is only the beginning—join us in contributing to the next 5 years of accomplishment!
