Issue No 6, July 1996.

NOTICE: Hard copies of the Australian New Crops Newsletter are available from the publisher, Dr Rob Fletcher. Details of availability are included in the Advice on Publications Available.

17. Conference Reports

Industrial Hemp Conference
Melbourne Hilton, 13-14 December 1995
Prepared by Simon Field

The objectives of this conference were to assess the potential for the establishment of an industrial hemp industry in Australia and to identify research and development requirements for its establishment.

The conference process started with the development of a discussion paper entitled 'Industrial Hemp - a discussion paper on the feasibility of a hemp fibre industry in Australia.' A working party met to discuss the discussion paper and a conference program was formulated to follow the value-chain of a potential hemp industry from the potential market to production. The conference presentations, together with the discussion paper, provided the participants at the conference with a comprehensive survey of the readily available data on the industrial hemp industry.

The second day of the conference was a workshop which was held to evaluate the potential for the development of a viable industrial hemp industry in Australia. The objectives were to identify the key issues which needed resolution if a viable industry was to be established and to describe the actions necessary to resolve the issues identified.

A representative group of participants from a diverse range of interests from both the private and public sectors attended this conference and contributed to the workshop.

The conference presentations and the conclusions of the workshop cast serious doubt on the potential for the development of a significant industrial hemp industry in Australia, particularly in the short term and perhaps long into the future. The paper and textile industries, which were seen as major potential users of hemp fibre, are able to source less expensive alternative raw materials. This position was considered unlikely to change without major innovations in fibre processing technology.

The potential for product development for other end users looked more promising. The manufacture of products, such as particle board, geotextiles and compression components, where minimal processing is necessary, was thought likely to be more cost-competitive. However, considerably more work was considered necessary to establish the commercial and technical feasibility of such products.

The manufacture of garments and other products from imported textiles was one industry area growing strongly in Australia. Continued growth in this area could provide the necessary impetus for further industry diversification.

As described in the Conference Proceedings, the objectives of the conference and the workshop were considered to have been met. Three major issues were identified in decreasing order of priority:

• commercial and technical feasibility must be established,
• capital investment must be secured, and
• legislative and political barriers must be removed.

The key actions recommended to be taken included:

• establishment of a National Hemp Industry Association to represent the interests of growers, processors, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and importers,
• employment of a consultant to investigate future trends for wholesale and retail opportunities,
• determination of the quality and cost of the product from each step of the value-chain of industrial hemp,
• establishment of research and development consortium groups,
• commissioning of a commercial and technical feasibility study to cover the pulp and paper, construction, geotextile, textile, and oil and seed-based sectors of the industry, with emphasis on chipboard and geotextiles,
• establishment of acceptable levels of THC for government and industry,
• lobbying for a change in legislation after the viability of the industry has been proven,
• provision of government assistance for development, through tax or financial incentives,
• formation of cooperatives with overseas interests, and
• establishment of pilot facilities.

Actions to be pursued were left to the industry to consider.

Copies of the Proceedings of the Conference are obtainable from the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science, Suite 302, 191 Royal Parade, Parkville Victoria 3052 at a cost of AUS$50.00

Australian Native Bushfood Industry Committee Conference

Exhibition Centre, Brisbane
3-4 May 1996
Prepared by Rob Fletcher

Up to 200 delegates braved significantly adverse weather to attend the inaugural conference organised by ANBIC. Unfortunately, some delegates were unable to attend because of flooded roads and homes. The outcomes of the conference are summarised below. They are based on the Business and Marketing Paper presented at the conference by John Cotterill, Econsult (Australia) Pty Ltd, Melbourne and the listed outcomes of the meeting held at the close of the conference.

Intellectual Property Protection and Code of Ethics

There was an acknowledged need to recognise the intellectual property of the Australian indigenous people and consult with them on the appropriate use of, and adequate protection of this information.

Marketing and Product Development

There was a need for a study to develop an industry brand name to evoke the perception of the products being uniquely Australian and of gourmet quality. The industry should adopt an agreed series of names for the common bushfood ingredients and establish a process for agreeing appropriate names as new species are introduced.

Processed bushfood labels should include full details on ingredients, including the proportion of bushfood included and this information should be supported by information leaflets on other relevant material such as food values, recommended food preparation and usage.

Communication

There was a recommendation that the bushfood industry participants should actively seek to cooperate and network to assist in industry development. There was a recognised need for education and training at all levels, especially with regard to publicity designed to educate the public.

Production

The industry should encourage appropriate sustainable forms of production. In some cases, this may entail moving away from predominantly bush harvesting to some other form of cultivation.

Industry Development

There was a recommendation that the industry consider developing a Quality Assurance system based on the ISO 9000 series for the small business components associated with processing and marketing and ISO 14000 series for the field production enterprises.

The attendees at the conference agreed to form a company limited by guarantee to function as the industry body. There will be an interim board of three, and initial membership of at least five. These people will be responsible for establishing the company initially and commencing a membership drive. Following completion of the membership drive, a full board will be elected by the membership and installed.

The Australian Native Bushfood Industry Committee can be reached via the major sponsor, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

Included in the documents distributed at the conference was the following list of native bushfood crops, currently considered promising:

Fifth World Neem Conference
The University of Queensland Gatton College,
Gatton, Queensland, Australia
4-9 February 1996
Prepared by Dr Errol Hassan
Vice-president, Organising Committee
Department of Plant Production
The University of Queensland Gatton College

The International Neem Conference was held in Australia for the first time in February, 1996. The 180 delegates came from 14 countries. During the oral presentations, 125 papers were presented on various aspects of neem and other phyto-insecticides.

During the five days of the Conference, research work undertaken throughout the world and in Australia was discussed. This confirmed the immense value of the neem tree and other phyto-insecticides. This valuable information will develop a new era in pest management. The neem tree will play a major role in preventing environmental degradation by reducing soil erosion and de-forestation.

Neem extract is also used as a natural pesticide, as a nitrification inhibitor and is an effective component in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

The next International Neem Conference will be held at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada in 1999.

Fifth Worl Neem Conference
Report by Joe Friend
Editor, Australian Neem Newsletter
Neem Peace, PO Box 362
Edge Hill, QLD, 4870 Australia

The Fifth World Neem Conference was held over five days in February, 1996. Scientific co-ordination was done by Professor Gordon Gordh of the Entomology Department, The University of Queensland. Other organisers included Mike O'Shea of Neem Oil Australia, Lismore and Dr Errol Hassan, Department of Plant Production, The University of Queensland Gatton College.

As would be expected, nearly half the total number of delegates at the conference had travelled from overseas and these delegates represented Indian universities, overseas government agencies and neem product manufacturers.

Keynote speakers included Professor Heinrich Smutterer, widely regarded internationally as the current academic father of neem, Professor Kraus, the most-published organic chemist in the field of neem research, Professor Morgan, the first to elucidate the azadirachtin molecule and Dr Ketkar, who has worked indefatigably from Poona, West India for thirty years to promote neem in more than fifty countries.

A special prize was presented to Professor Smutterer, particularly in recognition of the release of the text book 'The Neem Tree' [described in the publications section of this issue of the Australian New Crops Newsletter] which he was responsible for editing. This publication is the definitive work on neem and related Melia spp. known to have insecticidal properties. This classic text of 700 pages contains chapters on the medicinal uses of neem and includes the most thorough bibliography on neem published in any language.

Whereas most of the overseas presentations at this meeting were excellent, there was little information presented at the conference by neem researchers from the southern hemisphere. This was disappointing, especially considering the five years of research and development into new products which has been carried out in Australia.

Apart from the paucity of poster presentations and the non-appearance of some overseas delegates, it was truly encouraging to meet so many determined, focused neem researchers working in such a wide range of studies on a single plant.

Essential Oils Workshop
Hobart
14-15 June 1995
Prepared by Lee Peterson and David Evans

This Workshop was convened to bring together some 30 industry personnel , researchers and research managers from across Australia with the aim of:

• assessing the current status of the Australian Essential Oils Industry
• developing a vision for the future
• determining what must be done if the vision is to be translated into reality
• developing a plan of action with key issues, objectives and strategies
• identifying opportunities for collaboration and synergy

At the Workshop, eight invited papers were presented describing the essential oils currently being produced in Australia, the process of steam distillation and the role of research in meeting market demands.

During Workshop sessions a SWOT analysis of the industry was undertaken and key issues were identified. Also, a preliminary 5-year plan was prepared for the industry. This was done on an oil-by-oil basis and set out the objectives, strategies and targets that need to be addressed by the industry and researchers if the industry is to develop and prosper.

The Workshop also considered the opportunities for collaboration among the various commercial companies, research organisations and individuals represented at the Workshop.

Copies of the Proceedings of the Conference are obtainable from:

Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
PO Box 4776
Kingston ACT 2601
Telephone: (06) 272 4539
Facsimile: (06) 272 5877
International facsimile: +61 6 272 5877
Price: A$10 plus postage.

Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email: r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au

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originally created by: GK; latest update 6 June 1999 by: RF