September 2020, Pacific
Agriculture: The Roots Of Our Growth?
Maureen Penijueli, Coordinator of Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG)
The panel provided a sobering analysis of the current state of agriculture in Fiji and removed any romanticised notions of what it would take for an agriculture reset.
During its heyday, 20 — 30 years ago, Fiji’s research and development in agriculture was rated and considered world class. Decades later, after neglect from successive governments, agriculture has been brought to its knees.
As pointed out by Wah Sing, “unlike other industries agriculture cannot just be switched on. It is a product of biological and genetic processes and it takes time to develop. Agriculture is a long-term game changer that needs to be supported by a “super billion- dollar budget”.
The panelists brought home the significant challenges along with key messages as well as potential ideas and solutions for the immediate and medium term, but more significantly on how to begin the long road to resetting agriculture in Fiji.
One of the most immediate and significant economic impacts of COVID-19 has been the unemployment figures, more than 40,000 people have lost their jobs in Fiji.
Increasing numbers of people are going back to villages to farming, fishing while back- yard gardening has sprouted in urban and peri-urban centres to shore up food security and widen livelihood options.
Livai Tora, pointed out, this drift back to the land is bringing a new set of challenges and potential conflict.
Food security should not just be seen as being able to produce enough food for consumption, but also supporting people to be able to buy and preserve enough food to survive.
With so many novice farmers, back yard gardeners mostly run by women, showed that there is a need for resources on where people can go for basic help.
Growing for personal consumption can help buffer the impacts of COVID-19 but while the urban centres are critical markets for local produce and can provide livelihoods, they are susceptible to price volatility.
