Integrating Australian native foods for a more sustainable food system: a qualitative co-design study with Aboriginal communities

(1) Background: Integrating native foods into food systems has shown promising benefits for health, the environment, and the revitalisation of Aboriginal culture. This study aims to explore the benefits, facilitators, and barriers of integrating Australian native foods into the current food system and how traditional knowledge around these foods can be revitalised in a culturally safe way. (2) Methods: This qualitative co-design study involved the following four phases: (I) Relationship building with the communities and cultural training for the research team; (II) Establishment of the Aboriginal Reference Group (ARG) for community involvement and governance; (III) Data collection through interviews and focus groups with participants from two urban Aboriginal communities in Sydney and experts in native foods; and (IV) Collaborative data analysis using both deductive and inductive thematic analysis. (3) Results: We interviewed 22 participants who acknowledged the nutritional, health, cultural, environmental, and economic benefits of Australian native foods. They strongly identified the impact of colonisation and imposed Western culture as root barriers impacting other barriers at the structural, socioeconomic, social, and environmental levels. Participants aspire to achieve food security and sovereignty in a more sustainable food system including native foods. To achieve their aspirations, a framework based on Aboriginal values and principles was developed to guide multicomponent initiatives using native foods. (4) Conclusions: A compassionate food model based on emancipatory community-based and land-based education is essential, connecting ancient and contemporary knowledge to transform the food system. Future research should focus on implementing and evaluating the multicomponent interventions suggested by the participants.