PROBLEMS AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES ON THE AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL ISLANDS CASE STUDY: Fiji

JIRCAS international symposium series
ISSN 13406108
書誌レコードID(総合目録DB) AA1100908X
本文フルテキスト
General Background
The Republic of Fiji Islands is a small island nation with a multiracial population of 826,000 located south of the Equator," known as the hub of the South Pacific. It is surrounded by a group of over twenty neighboring small island nations, and to its south are its biggest trading partners, Australia and New Zealand. It enjoys a tropical maritime oceanic climate with an average annual rainfall of 2500 mm, distributed mainly in the warmer months from December to March and the cooler and drier months within April to September, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 31 °C. There are over 300 islands, of which 110 are inhabited. The two
largest islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. The main staple foods for Fijians are root crops and seafood; for Indo-Fijians, rice and curry; and a mixture of meat, seafood, rice and root crops for other races, although the dietary patterns of all ethnic groups continually change according to consumer preferences. The people of Fiji are the most cosmopolitan of all Pacific island countries, and despite many obstacles to development they are stabilized by a broad-based constitutional government comprising a bicameral parliamentary system headed by the President and governed by the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers.
Economic Performance - marginalized consideration of environmental issues
Fiji is a small island economy that faces obstacles in the development process that are not present in larger countries. It is inherently less diversified, which makes it vulnerable to both internal and external shocks. With a small population of 820,000, economies of scale are difficult to achieve in domestic markets, and investment in infrastructure is costly and often uneconomic. In addition to its problem of smallness, Fiji is relatively geographically isolated, prone to natural disasters, and operates under a land tenure system that constrains the availability of land and its productivity. But despite these constraints, the economy of Fiji, although structurally weak, has performed well in the two and half decades following her independence. However, in the face of seemingly intractable political and land tenure problems, the economy is now at a crossroads. Decisions taken now have fundamental implications for the management of the environment.
Performance of Resource-based Sectors
By the end of 1986 the economy had shown signs of growth, driven by the sugar and tourism sectors. However, after the military coup in 1987, the economy plunged, with tourist arrivals dropping and a sharp decline in sugar production. That period was also one of considerable environmental disaster as a result of widespread burning of sugarcane fields and pine plantations. There have been several encouraging economic developments over the past years, particularly in the resource-based sectors, which have had both positive and negative environmental implications. One example is the expansion of tuna exports for the sashimi markets. Taro has become Fiji's second largest agricultural export after sugar; however, the current production system, which is an offshoot of the subsistence system, relies heavily on the excessive use of herbicides. There has been significant growth in agro-processing. Fiji is now a significant exporter of fruit pur's produced by smallholders under a certified organic production system. A quarantine treatment facility is now in place that allows a range of tropical fruits and vegetables to be exported without being subjected to toxic and environmentally damaging fumigants. The importance of subsistence farming and traditional foods highlights a high degree of dependence on the environment for a sustained livelihood.
Management of Arable Land
Fiji is geographically isolated and carries out agriculture under a land tenure system that constrains the availability of land and its productivity. Due to these economic circumstances, Fiji has been negatively influenced and dominated by political factors; however, this has been sufficiently cushioned by adopting a broadly acceptable constitution aimed at achieving national unity and nation building. This has effectively changed the political environment and removed one of the long-standing impediments to investment and economic growth. If it can be done for the constitution, a similar broadly acceptable resolution will be found to the other outstanding issue - the management of agricultural land leases and its productivity.
Sugarcane Monocrop Performance
The 1970s was a period of remarkable growth that was driven by the expansion of the sugar and tourism industries. During that decade, sugar production grew by 40%. Because of the inherent smallholder structure of the sugar industry, expansion was accompanied by high rates of new employment and high net additions to foreign exchange earnings. However, in the 1980s, the inherent fragility of the Fiji sugar industry became apparent as growth in the sugar industry began to falter following a series of natural disasters and low world prices. The economy plunged, with low tourist arrivals and declining sugar production. Due to this economic crisis, Government policy shifted from import substitution and self-sufficiency to export-led· growth with special emphasis on agricultural diversification and private sector-led participation as a means and strategy for economic recovery.
Performance of Non-Sugar Agriculture
Despite the poor showing of economic indicators, such as growth, employment, and investment, Fiji, like many Pacific island economies, has hidden strengths in the value of its traditional subsistence and traded food crops. The contribution of these commodities to GDP is similar to that of sugar, an average of 40% of total agricultural GDP at current prices. Levels of imports to Fiji are still comparatively low, suggesting that domestic food supply has been able to expand with increases in demand from the growing urban population. The importance of subsistence and traditional foods highlights the degree of dependence among the population on the environment for a sustained livelihood and income.
Agricultural Productivity Perspectives
In small island nations, the scope for improving agricultural output by means of existing technologies and resources is still a challenge; however, there are limits to what can be achieved. Environmental considerations are also limiting rapid agricultural expansion, since further reductions in the area of land for pasture and forests are unacceptable in many countries, including Fiji. The development of technologies will be one of the key factors necessary to obtain substantial increases in food production required to feed the expanding populations of developing countries. The major challenge in agricultural research and development is to improve agricultural productivity within the scope of limited available resources. The application of new technologies to export commodities will improve their competitive strengths in the international marketplace.
作成者 A. Turagakura
公開者 Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
オンライン掲載日
13
開始ページ 53
終了ページ 68
言語 eng

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