The Indigenous Doughnut
A Country Centred Circular Economy
The Indigenous Doughnut is a Country Centred - Circular Economy (CC-CE) model and framework. It draws on millennia of learnings of managing and living on Country. The model provides a bridge for wider Australia to ‘Walk together’, to care for Country and to build a thriving, restorative and resilient economy.
What is the CC-CE model?
Country at the Centre
There is no concept for separation of Human and Nature in First Nations belief systems.
The Western belief of Human separation and nature domination - and the rapid expansion of the extractive 'Take, Make, Waste' linear economy has led to our current predicament.
​
The CC-CE model re-establishes human kind, community, governance and commerce within nature. It creates a framework to enable active participation with Country through a first nations knowledge systems lens.
​
​
Why a Circular Economy?
Australia has set a target of transitioning to a Circular Economy by 2030.
Nature based services are worth $125 Trillion dollars annually (WEF report ).
Over 80% of the remaining natural habitat and biodiversity globally is managed by Indigenous peoples.
Natural habitat restoration and Cultural Landscape management, provides Australians with improved resilience to increasing extreme weather conditions.
$896bn of Australia’s economy directly depends on nature. Equivalent to 49% of Australia’s GDP. Report
Walking together
The Indigenous Doughnut is a CC-CE model that can be;
For Traditional Owners.
To be adapted, translated and utilised by local Traditional Owners, to suit their Country, Culture, Language, Community and Economic priorities. Utilised to provide internal direction and leadership in identifying Country Centred Circular Economy partnership opportunities.
​
For wider Australia.
To be utilised by all Australian Businesses, Government Agencies, NGO's, Education Institutions and Partners to better understand a Country Centred Circular Economy and co-create opportunities to ‘Walk together’.
Care for Country
"The Indigenous Doughnut has been created to enable a better understanding that our relationship with Country over generations gives us knowledge and authority to give guidance about incorporating the connection and care of Country principles into Circular Economy practice.”
​
Paul Paton. July 2023.
Participate at a systems level
The CC-CE model
Participation in caring for Country at a systems level.
The Participation Loop is a bridge that spans all the elements of a dynamic systems interplay on Country.
Participating in the Care of Country is at the heart of the Indigenous Doughnut model. Building on Circular and Regenerative Economy strategies, the 12 CC-CE ‘S strategies’ can be used as guides to ‘Walk together’ and can be considered when designing, refining and redesigning partnerships, products and services.
The CC-CE model
'12 S' strategies
01. Stewardship An obligation to care for Country. Regenerative and moderate use of resources.
02. Seasons Understand Seasonal indicators and considerations.
03. Species - Know local Species and ecosystem relationships. Local species as Participants.
04. Source - Identify indigenous sustainable Sources. E.g. Original water tables.
​
05. Sharing - Sharing and Reciprocity. E.g. Share abundant seasonal crops with neighbours.
06. Social Impact - Actions that contribute to societal health and well-being.
07. Supply chains - Sustainable, regenerative, fair and transparent supply chains.
08. Systems - Systems not Silos. Systems dynamics. Develop collaborative business systems.
​
09. Scale - How does it operate on Country at different scales? Macro, Meso and Micro.
10. Sense and Respond - Feedback Loops. Capture and respond to real needs.
11. Synergy and Time - Take a broader and longer view of time. Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow.
12. Songlines and Stories - Traditional Owner Cultural knowledge and Lore. Seek publicly available information.
The CC-CE model and framework have been co-created by Paul Paton, CEO of the Federation for Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations and Damien Melotte, founder of Good human.
The generic CC-CE model will continue to evolve as it's translated by different Traditional Owner groups for their Country and through learnings from active application. A CC-CE whitepaper will be launched in coming months and the model and framework will be available under licences for both commercial use and non commercial Creative Commons use.
The CC-CE model and framework will be offered to all businesses; education and innovation initiatives, program opportunities, processes, tools and case-studies will be delivered with Government and NGO Partners in the second half of 2024.
​
Traditional Owners are encouraged to send your enquiries directly to Paul Paton CEO at Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations, Kanitba.
​
We welcome all local and international enquiries, feedback and ideas.
​