Salutation
- Honourable Ministers and Members of Parliament,
- The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Dirk Wagener;
- The European Union Ambassador to the Pacific and Head of the EU Delegation, Her Excellency Barbara Plinkert
- Excellencies and Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
- Representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub;
- Development Partners and Private-Sector Leaders;
- Our Farmers, Fishers, Foresters, Researchers, and Civil Society Leaders;
- Women and Youth Representatives;
- Government Officials;
- Distinguished Guests;
- Ladies and Gentlemen.
Ni Sa Bula Vina’a and a very good morning to you all.
Let me first begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we stand today, ki Nadonumai vua na Gone Turaga na Tui Suva.
I pay my respects to their Chiefs, past and present, as well as emerging leaders and I acknowledge their enduring role within the Vanua, we remain grateful for their custodianship, which allows us to convene for this important occasion and celebrate this important national milestone.
Introduction
- It is my distinct privilege to officially launch three strategic instruments that will guide the transformation of Fiji’s food systems:
- Horizon 2030: Fiji’s National Food Systems Pathway;
- The Fiji Food Systems Investment Plan Framework; and
- The Short-Term Investment Plan.
- Today is more than a launch, it marks a commitment to transform how Fiji produces, processes, distributes, trades and consumes food.
- Our food system must contribute more strongly to national production, employment, rural development, nutrition, resilience, trade and foreign exchange earnings.
- This is essential to our national ambition to achieve stronger and more sustained economic growth, including our aspiration for 6% annual growth, and to position Fiji on a credible pathway towards High Income Status by 2050.
- The 2021 National Food Systems Summit provided the foundation for this work. Horizon 2030 is a principal national outcome of that process. Today, we move from vision to implementation.
Food Systems as a Driver of National Development
- Ladies and Gentlemen, food systems do not operate in isolation. They connect agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism, manufacturing, trade, transport, energy, water, health, education, finance, technology and the environment.
- Our approach must therefore be integrated.
- A farmer’s productivity depends not only on what happens on the farm. It also depends on access to finance, infrastructure, energy, technology, processing facilities, transport and markets.
- The same applies to our fishers and other food producers, particularly in rural and maritime communities. This is why food systems must be viewed as an important part of Fiji’s broader economic development agenda.
- Agriculture remains central to this effort. The Fiji Non-Sugar Agriculture Sector Policy 2025–2035 recognises agriculture’s contribution to food, foreign exchange and rural livelihoods. Non-sugar agriculture contributed approximately 7 percent of GDP in 2023.
- Our task now is to increase this contribution.
From Import Dependence to Greater Production and Foreign Exchange Earnings
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Fiji continues to face a significant food trade imbalance.
- In 2023, Fiji exported approximately FJD 343.4 million in crop and livestock products, while importing approximately FJD 1.106 billion. Our food imports were therefore more than three times the value of these exports.
- This presents both a challenge and an opportunity. We must reduce unnecessary dependence on imported food where Fiji has the capacity to produce competitively. But import substitution alone is not enough.
- Our food system must become a stronger foreign exchange earner. This requires us to identify products where Fiji has a competitive advantage and move further into value-added production, processing, packaging, branding and export.
- We should strengthen opportunities in niche agricultural products, fisheries, forestry products, food processing and other areas where Fiji can compete in regional and international markets.
- Our farmers, fishers and foresters should be supported not only as producers, but as participants in a modern and commercially viable food economy.
Building An Integrated Food Economy
- The transformation of our food system must also strengthen linkages with other sectors of the economy.
- With tourism, we must increase the use of locally produced food in hotels, resorts, restaurants and tourism supply chains.
- With manufacturing, we must expand food processing, packaging, preservation and value addition.
- With fisheries and forestry, we must strengthen sustainable production and create greater domestic and export value.
- With transport and logistics, we must improve connectivity between farms, maritime communities, markets, processing facilities and ports.
- With energy, we must promote reliable and affordable energy solutions for production, storage and processing.
- With technology and innovation, we must expand digital agriculture, traceability, market information and climate-smart production.
- With health and education, we must promote nutritious diets, food safety and healthy local food choices.
- With finance, we must improve access to appropriate investment and working capital for producers and businesses.
- These linkages are critical. A food system that is productive in isolation will not deliver the transformation we need. We need an integrated food economy.
The Pillars for Transformation
- To achieve this, our implementation should be driven by several clear priorities.
- First, productivity and competitiveness – We must increase yields, improve production practices, strengthen extension services and promote technology and innovation.
- Second, value addition and agro-processing – We must retain more value in Fiji by processing, packaging, branding and marketing our products domestically and internationally.
- Third, market access and trade – We must connect producers to reliable markets and strengthen compliance with quality, food safety and international standards.
- Fourth, infrastructure and logistics – We must improve roads, maritime connectivity, storage, cold chains, processing facilities and market infrastructure.
- Fifth, investment and private-sector participation – Government cannot deliver this transformation alone. We need greater private investment across the food value chain and an enabling environment that encourages responsible and commercially viable investment.
- Sixth, resilience and sustainability – Our food system must withstand climate change, natural disasters, economic shocks and global supply disruptions while protecting our land, forests, rivers and ocean.
- Seventh, people and inclusion – Women, young people, farmers, fishers, foresters, iTaukei communities and rural and maritime communities must have meaningful opportunities to participate and benefit.
- These pillars must work together. The objective is not simply to produce more food. It is to build a productive, competitive, resilient and inclusive food economy.
Resilience and Sustainability
- Protecting our marine food systems is equally important. My recent inspection and ongoing work to remove derelict vessels from Suva Harbour, earlier this morning, demonstrates the need to protect our marine environment and the resources that sustain our people.
- Derelict vessels can damage marine ecosystems, affect water quality, threaten fisheries and destroy habitats that support our food sources and livelihoods. Their removal is therefore not only an environmental measure. It is also an investment in the health and productivity of our ocean, the sustainability of our fisheries and the resilience of our coastal communities.
- This reflects Government’s commitment to responsible management of our ocean resources and to strengthening the contribution of the Blue Economy to national development.
Contribution to Fiji’s Growth Ambition
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Fiji’s aspiration for 6 percent economic growth will require every productive sector to contribute.
- We cannot depend on a limited number of sectors to carry our economic ambitions.
- Agriculture, fisheries, forestry and food-related industries must increase their contribution to national output, employment, investment and foreign exchange.
- The food system therefore has an important role in our broader economic transformation.
- Every increase in productive output matters. Every new processing facility creates opportunities. Every export strengthens our foreign exchange position. Every competitive local product reduces pressure on our import bill.
- This is how sector development must connect to national development. It is also how we build the productive capacity required to achieve High Income Status by 2050.
Alignment with Regional and International Commitments
- Our food systems agenda also contributes to Fiji’s regional and international responsibilities.
- It supports our commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly on poverty, hunger, health, decent work, responsible production, climate action and sustainable ecosystems.
- It also reflects the priorities of the global food systems agenda and Fiji’s commitments to climate resilience, sustainable development, biodiversity and responsible management of our natural resources.
- For Fiji and the Pacific, these commitments are not abstract international obligations. They are directly connected to our communities, our livelihoods, our food security and our future.
- Our approach must therefore remain nationally owned while strengthening regional cooperation and international partnerships.
From Policy to Investment and Implementation
- The instruments we launch today provide a stronger bridge from policy to implementation.
- The Short-Term Investment Plan identifies FJD 26.5 million across 26 priority interventions, covering governance, resilience, nutrition and strategic investment. Approximately FJD 15.9 million is expected to be mobilised through external development, climate and private-sector financing.
- This gives us a practical foundation. We know the priorities. We have identified the interventions. We have a basis for investment and partnerships. The next step is delivery.
- Government agencies must work together. Development partners must align their support with national priorities.
- The private sector must identify and invest in viable opportunities and our communities must remain at the centre of implementation. Our success must be measured by results.
Call to Action
- To our Development Partners, Climate Funds and Multilateral Institutions, I invite you to support this nationally owned agenda through finance, technology, technical expertise and institutional capacity.
- To the Private Sector, I encourage greater investment across the food value chain.
- The opportunities include production, processing, sustainable fisheries and forestry, cold-chain infrastructure, logistics, digital services, research, product development and export markets.
- I encourage investment that is commercially viable, responsible and inclusive.
- To our Public Servants and Heads of Agencies, implementation must now become the measure of our performance.
- We must strengthen coordination. We must remove unnecessary barriers. We must improve the speed and quality of service delivery and we must remain accountable for every dollar invested.
- To our Farmers, Fishers, Foresters and Communities, your knowledge, enterprise and stewardship of Fiji’s natural resources are central to this transformation.
- Government will continue to strengthen productive capacity, market access and opportunities for investment.
- We must also ensure that women and young people have a stronger role in shaping and benefiting from Fiji’s future food economy.
Acknowledgement
- I acknowledge with sincere appreciation the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub for their technical assistance in developing and finalising these important instruments.
- I also acknowledge the European Union for its support towards the implementation phase of the EU-funded Scalable Success Model Project in Fiji.
- These partnerships demonstrate what can be achieved when international support is aligned with national priorities and delivered through strong national ownership.
Conclusion
- My fellow Fijians, the food system we build today will shape the health, livelihoods and prosperity of generations to come.
- But this agenda is about more than food. It is about building a more productive and competitive economy, about creating jobs and stronger livelihoods, about increasing the value of what Fiji produces, about earning more foreign exchange while reducing unnecessary import dependence and about ensuring that our land, forests, rivers and ocean continue to support future generations.
- Horizon 2030 provides the direction.
- The Investment Plan provides the framework.
- The Short-Term Investment Plan provides the immediate pathway for action.
- Our task now is to deliver. Let us build a food economy that feeds our people, creates opportunity, supports our communities and competes with confidence in regional and international markets.
- In doing so, we strengthen Fiji’s contribution to the 6 percent growth ambition and advance our long-term pathway towards High Income Status by 2050.
- It is therefore my great pleasure and privilege to officially launch:
- Horizon 2030: Fiji’s National Food Systems Pathway;
- The Fiji Food Systems Investment Plan Framework; and
- The Short-Term Investment Plan.
- Vinaka Vakalevu & May God bless you all, and may God bless Fiji.
[END]
