truwana/Cape Barren Island, Tasmania – A remote island community off the coast of Tasmania is bolstering its food security through a combination of traditional practices and innovative agricultural techniques, including a community greenhouse. The initiative addresses a critical issue for the island’s predominantly Indigenous population, where access to affordable and consistent food supplies is a significant challenge.
Located in the Bass Strait, truwana/Cape Barren Island is home to approximately 80 people, the majority of whom identify as Tasmanian Aboriginal. The island is owned and managed by the Aboriginal community, and its remoteness presents logistical hurdles in securing essential goods. Supplies are delivered monthly by barge, supplemented by smaller deliveries via plane three times a week. However, these deliveries are often expensive, and staples like dairy products can be scarce, according to Kathryn Longey, CEO of the Cape Barren Island Aboriginal Association and shop attendant.
Nationally, more than half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households in remote areas of Australia experience food insecurity, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Recognizing this vulnerability, the Cape Barren Island Aboriginal Association has spearheaded efforts to enhance local food production.
A key component of this strategy is a newly established greenhouse, funded by the Australian Government through Primary Health Tasmania. Overseen by Tessa Atto, the island’s health and programs coordinator, the greenhouse provides a controlled environment for growing fresh produce year-round. “We’ve got a person who works a couple of hours per day creating all this beautiful produce and maintaining it,” Atto said. “We’ve also got some community garden beds where people can just come in and grow their own stuff.”
The produce grown in the greenhouse is made freely available to community members at the island’s only shop. This initiative not only improves access to fresh vegetables but also introduces residents to new varieties. Recent additions, such as bok choy, have been well-received, offering a novel taste experience for many islanders.
Beyond the nutritional benefits, the greenhouse project is fostering social connections and promoting mental wellbeing. Atto emphasized the “holistic approach of learning from scratch, the cycle of getting a seed and watching it grow,” highlighting the positive impact of participation in the gardening process.
However, the community’s response to food insecurity isn’t solely focused on new technologies. Traditional food sources remain central to the island’s diet and cultural identity. Seafood is harvested through various methods, including line fishing, trapping, and spearfishing. Perhaps most significantly, the islanders continue the practice of harvesting mutton birds, known locally as yula.
The annual mutton bird harvest is a deeply ingrained cultural practice. According to Aaron Maynard, chair of the Cape Barren Island Aboriginal Association, the process involves carefully extracting the birds from their burrows. Maynard described the taste as a blend of lamb and smoked salmon. The practice is carefully managed to ensure sustainability, with the community harvesting a relatively small proportion of the estimated two million birds on the island.
The Australian government’s recently released national strategy to tackle food insecurity in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities recognizes the importance of both modern solutions and traditional practices. The strategy emphasizes the need for remote stores to be responsive to community needs and acknowledges the crucial role of traditional foods in maintaining cultural wellbeing.
For Maynard, the connection between food security and cultural preservation is undeniable. “Muttonbirding and [being] on the water is where most of us feel at home,” he said. “It’s a main food source, but it’s [also] the number one Culture that we’ve never had taken off us.”
The initiatives on truwana/Cape Barren Island offer a model for other remote communities facing similar challenges. By embracing both innovation and tradition, the islanders are working to ensure a sustainable and culturally appropriate food supply for generations to come. The success of the greenhouse and the continued reliance on traditional harvesting methods demonstrate a commitment to self-sufficiency and the preservation of a unique way of life.
