The mission of The Fiji Organic Project is to promote sustainable agriculture, particularly in the sugar cane industry, to strengthen the Fiji economy, while at the same time preserving Fiji’s unique natural environment and ensuring the health of Fiji’s farmers and citizens.

The Need:

While the impending expiration of the Lomé Convention (a preferential trading agreement between the EU and ACP countries) currently poses a great risk to Fiji’s economy, the drastic changes that the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) must undergo to maintain viability also present great opportunities. Soon Fiji will be competing on the world market for sugar trade, unless it is able to secure a niche market in which it could gain a comparative advantage.

Of equal importance is the pressure that Europe’s strong environmental lobby could place on the EU to force cane lands, where unsustainable agriculture is practiced, out of production. The sugar industry in Fiji has no option but to comply with the standards set in Europe, because the economy of the country depends so heavily on the sugar industry, and in turn, on the demand from foreign markets.

While Fiji’s economy is dependent on the sugar cane industry, there is a pressing need to create the most sustainable option within this industry. Organic production, renewable energy generation, and recycling of waste material can forge an alternative path for the developing nation comprised of over 300 islands. Surrounded by some of the most spectacular coral reef ecosystems in the world, Fiji’s unique natural environment will be destroyed if the harmful agricultural practices are not changed. A transition to organic is necessary to create a healthy future for the people of the Fiji Islands. The time is ripe for Fiji organic sugar.