[Source: Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation/ Facebook]

The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to deliver the Farm to Fork initiative.

This follows the Cabinet’s recent endorsement of a Letter of Agreement between the MTCA and UNFAO, in which the MTCA secured $85,525 under the support of the Canadian-funded project “Reducing COVID-19 Related Food Insecurity in the Pacific Region.”

The initiative aims to use local agricultural produce in the tourism sector, which includes addressing knowledge gaps between farmers, fishermen, intermediaries, and key decision-makers in hotels and other tourism-based businesses.

[Source: Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation/ Facebook]

Chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Salaseini Daunabuna, a public-private steering committee has been established with representatives from various ministries and organizations, including MTCA, MoAW, UNFAO, and FHTA.

Daunabuna says there are many opportunities to strengthen the tourism supply chain and meaningfully integrate more locally grown produce into the industry.

At its first meeting, members discussed safe food handling, hotel procurement processes, new farming projects, Fijian-made brand integration, tourism market access, and the supply chain.