In a bid to enhance sustainability and promote organic farming practices, the Minister for Agriculture Fiji, Vatimi Rayalu, has emphasized the critical need for the promotion of organic agriculture.

Rayalu made these remarks during the opening ceremony of the Pacific Regional Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) Workshop, where he highlighted the steps taken by the Fiji government to support organic farming initiatives.

He says Fiji has established an organic task force in collaboration with the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and farmer organizations to spearhead the promotion of organic farming.

Rayalu outlines that their objective is to establish a national accrediting process and guidelines for organic farming in Fiji.

As part of their efforts, Fiji has introduced the Fiji Organic Emblem, which is managed through the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, and Tourism and serves as a symbol of authenticity and quality for organic produce.

“The Ministry of Agriculture, in consultation with the stakeholders and POETCom, has developed the draft Fiji National Organic Policy Paper, which is now under review by the office of the Solicitor General. Along with the national organic policy, the Fiji Organic Task Force has also developed a national organic action plan for the implementation of the Fiji national organic policy.”

Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are locally focused quality assurance systems that provide certifications to operators, primarily producers, based on peer audits and the active participation of local stakeholders.

Rayalu stresses the significance of PGS in fostering organic farming by integrating cultural values and ensuring quality standards.

Currently, there are 241 PGS initiatives, with 127 of them fully operational and 115 under development across the region.

These initiatives collectively involve over 310,000 farmers, of whom approximately 77,000 have been certified as organic producers.