The Fiji Sugar Industry: Sustainability Challenges and the Way Forward

Abstract

This paper examines the problems facing the sugar industry in Fiji. It expands on the difficulties of world trade and the macro- and micro-problems that affects the sugar industry sternly. It also discusses local challenges associated with sugarcane crop production and sugar manufacturing in the country. Additionally, it provides an overview of some of the specific issues directly facing smallholder sugarcane growers. This study is based on a customised mixed-methods research conducted in the year 2015 in the sugarcane-producing areas on the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu in Fiji. The 33 farmers and members of their households in the study comprised both descendants of the Girmitiya community brought from India under the colonial rule and the native iTaukei sugarcane farmers, who rely primarily on cash incomes derived from the sale of sugarcane and other diversified farm products. This paper demonstrates that the sugar industry in Fiji is currently facing a ‘perfect storm’—wave after wave of major difficulties coming all at once—and the country is beginning to tackle these problems only as they reach crisis point.

The future of the sugarcane industry in Fiji: climatic, non-climatic stressors, and opportunities for transformation

“…Other studies have also reported that leaving sugarcane farming in the short term may not be economically feasible due to contractual obligations associated with land leases (Kurer, 2001;Singh, 2020;Dean, 2022). The majority of farmers remaining in the industry are planning to continue managing their farms without any plans to either expand or contract their growing areas.…”

“…The issues surrounding the sugarcane payment systems have also been documented. Farmers receive an average of 72% of the income distributed into several payments throughout the year, with the remaining 28% going to the mills (Dean, 2022). There are usually five payments spread over 18 months.…”

“…To support farmers, the government provides several subsidies for the use of fertilizers and other inputs focused on increasing the sugarcane production levels. However, a more systemic approach to understanding productivity is needed in the industry to tackle inefficiencies along the value chain (Dean, 2022). Short-term measures to increase sugar income will mostly be ineffective, and a more coordinated industry-level reform is likely needed to address both the climatic and non-climatic stressors that are impacting the sustainability of the industry (Sami, 2020).…”

“…Considering the strong links between Fiji's sugar industry and its economy, the decline in sugarcane production has a ripple effect over multiple social and economic aspects. The industry decline has been linked to issues such as: the reduction in rural employment prospects, increases in rural-to-urban migration, reduction in foreign exchange earnings and overall economic growth, and ultimately, impacts to the well-being of over 200,000 individuals whose livelihoods are linked to the sugarcane value chain (Sami, 2020;Dean, 2022).…”

Indigenous knowledge for social cohesion, ecological and community well-being, and climate resilience: reviving Indigenous salt crafting in Vusama, Fiji

“…Indigenous knowledge (IK) is a unique body of knowledge inherent to a particular society, group of people, or culture (Berkes, 2009; Dean, 2010, 2019). Although there exist distinctions in its usage, IK in the literature is commonly associated with and is used interchangeably with terms such as local knowledge, peoples’ knowledge, folk knowledge, traditional knowledge, Indigenous technical knowledge, fisherman’s knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge, traditional environmental knowledge, traditional science, or traditional wisdom, with overlapping definitions (Markkula et al, 2019).…”