Organic beef marketing company OBE Organic has become one of the first Australian agribusinesses to adopt a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

RAPs, administered by Reconciliation Australia, are practical action plans for organisations to create social change and economic opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through relationships, respect and opportunities.

OBE Organic Managing Director Dalene Wray said she hopes OBE Organic’s RAP will encourage other agribusinesses to consider developing their own plans.

“OBE Organic was founded in the pure heart of Australia. In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the valuable contribution that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have made and continue to make in our production region and within our supply chain,” Dalene said.

“The process of developing a Reconciliation Action Plan has already increased our understanding and respect of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“Importantly though, the RAP isn’t just about doing what’s right.  Implementing this plan is consistent with our FLOURISH sustainability emphasis on people and diversity, because we know encouraging a range of thinking and looking to provide equal opportunities for everyone will benefit us over the long term.”

RAPs are created based on a template provided by Reconciliation Australia.

The development and implementation of OBE Organic’s RAP is being guided by a Working Group including Joyleen Booth (a Wangkangurru woman and an OBE Organic producer from Murnpeowie station in north east South Australia) and Amy Brooks (a Wulli Wulli woman who has over ten years’ experience in the Australian beef and food industry).

“Working with Joyleen and Amy has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.  Developing our RAP has made me look at our business in a new light, and I would recommend any company to undertake this process,” Dalene said.

“The RAP template makes creating a RAP relatively simple, but like any plan the challenge will be in executing it well.

“The creation of our RAP is just the start of our reconciliation journey. We expect to learn a great deal as we work with Amy, Joyleen and other members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and we hope our journey will allow us to make a genuine and tangible contribution to reconciliation in Australia.”

Since 2006, over 970 organisations have created a RAP, with a handful of these being agribusinesses including GrainCorp, Incitec Pivot, and the Indigenous Land Corporation.

 

 

For more information, please contact:

Dalene Wray                0439 224 968              dwray@obeorganic.net

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