In reference to recent stories in the media regarding The Orana Foundation’s Indigenous Food Database, please see the statement below from The Orana Foundation, as well as statements from Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, independent auditor Nexia Edwards Marshall and leading Indigenous Intellectual Property lawyer Dr Terri Janke.
The Board of The Orana Foundation stands by the timing of the Indigenous Food Database delivery and the use of all funds to date.
The Foundation reports into Primary Industries and Regions South Australia on all projects and spend – including donations and expenses outside of the grant – every six months. We are also audited annually by an independent auditor with reports lodged with the Australian Charity and Not-For-Profits Commission.
The database of 1443 native ingredients is complete and has been delivered to Dr Terri Janke, Australia’s leading authority on Indigenous culture and intellectual property, to commence the next stage of ensuring the protection and preservation of Indigenous traditional knowledge.
There is a reason an Indigenous database of its kind hasn’t existed in Australia until now: it’s time consuming, labour intensive, requires extensive funding, and must have a committed team of resilient and passionate people to make it happen. Every person who has contributed to this database has created an important and enduring legacy.