Macadamia Conservation Trust
As the natural home of macadamias, Australia is the only country in the world where macadamias grow wild. Every macadamia tree in the world can be traced back to the wild macadamia trees that grow in the Australian rainforest. However 80% of these precious wild macadamia trees have been lost due to land clearing. All four species of wild macadamia are now under threat and as an industry we are invested in conserving these important wild tree populations.
Conserving wild macadamias for the future
In 2007, The Australian Macadamia Society (AMS) established the Macadamia Conservation Trust, now an independent group known as Wild Macadamia Conservation. This not-for-profit environmental organisation works with community groups and government to conserve remaining wild macadamia trees in their native habitat for future generations. The AMS is the only industry body in Australia to initiate a recovery plan for conservation of the wild species on which its industry is based.
Wild macadamias are helping shape the future of commercial production. Research projects are sampling soils around remaining wild populations to better understand the conditions that allow these trees to thrive naturally. The aim is to translate these learnings into stronger, more adaptive soils across the tens of thousands of hectares that are home to Australia’s macadamia orchards.
Australia: an origin like no other
Macadamias evolved in Australia and thrived here for millions of years with no human intervention. This evolutionary history matters. It means macadamia trees are naturally adapted to Australia’s variable rainfall, temperature extremes and climatic fluctuations.
As the only place on earth where macadamias grow wild, we have a unique opportunity to learn from nature. By studying wild populations and the ecosystems that support them, researchers and growers are discovering how to grow Australia’s commercial macadamia crop as sustainably as possible with systems that are biologically rich, self-supporting and capable of adapting to change.
This connection between origin, ecology and modern regenerative farming practices gives Australian macadamias an authentic and future-focused sustainability story.
Watch below to learn more about the conservation work of Australian macadamia pioneer Ian McConachie and Wild Macadamia Conservation (formerly known as the Macadamia Conservation Trust).
Help save wild macadamias from extinction
With your help the Wild Macadamia Conservation can do so much more to protect macadamias from extinction in the wild. Head to their website to become a supporter or volunteer to undertake plantings. If you have a remnant rainforest with macadamia trees on your land, you can contact them to be part of the effort to save wild macadamias from extinction.
Find out more about wild macadamias and the work of Wild Macadamia Conservation
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