Indigenous employment in Australian agriculture

As the agriculture industry aspires towards a dollar 100 billion gross value of production (GVP), workforce concerns remain at large for much of the sector. Despite significant interests in land, equating to over half of Australia's landscape, the total production value derived from the Indigenous estate is less than 50% of GVP revenue. Concerningly, the majority of revenue generated from the Indigenous estate provides no benefit to Indigenous peoples. The employment of Indigenous peoples in agriculture is built on a history of tension, exacerbated by the contestation for land, facilitation of slavery and the ill-treatment of First Nations employees. Despite this, growing literature notes the need to diversify the agricultural workforce, including building a First Nations talent pipeline and supporting existing Indigenous employees. As the demand for agricultural employees continues to increase,5 First Nations talent provides a unique opportunity to enhance cultural, environmental and social outcomes for agriculture while also assisting the Federal Government's national strategy to increase Indigenous employment (among other social determinants) under 'Closing the Gap'. This paper explores the background reLating to agriculture and the First Nations workforce, the current state of Indigenous employment in the sector, opportunities for engaging Indigenous talent and concludes by considering industry action that needs to occur.