Riya Bhagwan 
[Photo: Riya Bhagwan]
Many Indigenous resource owners, farmers, and cooperatives miss out on wider economic opportunities within Fiji’s tourism sector, leaving the potential to supply goods and services to resorts largely untapped.
The Viti Indigenous Tourism Alliance says many partnerships between resource owners and tourism stakeholders remain focused on leases, limiting communities’ involvement in the broader supply chain.
President Sitiveni Nawaqa states that the organization’s work over the past three years highlighted the need to educate resource owners about these opportunities and their benefits.
The Alliance works to establish stronger links between farmers, cooperatives, and resorts, enabling communities to supply fresh produce and services directly to the sector.
Nawaqa adds that many resorts lack the land or capacity to grow vegetables, creating an opportunity for resource owners and farmers to supply locally grown produce.
“So what we do is a food chain system. Food supply chain. So that’s what we want to sell. We want to do a Solesolevaki for all indigenous and Fijians, saying that we need to work together to achieve the goals we’ve set. Because we did that agreement and we found out it’s not used. So that’s where, that point where all the indigenous have to use that close business opportunity.”
The Alliance also identified limited awareness of resource value as another challenge among resource owners.
Nawaqa says many are learning to properly assess and value their resources, which is critical when engaging with businesses.
