March 2019
LIVING THE ORGANIC WAY
Covering an area of just over 30 square kilometres, the island of Cicia was declared organic in 2013 and making them the first in the Pacific.
Supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) Concept Training enabled the people of Cicia to align themselves with organic principles in order to comply with organic standards.
In an interview with RNZ, Karen Mapusua of Pacific-Community-SPC said the people of Cicia had considered themselves to be organic prior to getting certified following the ban on any importation of agri-chemicals.
‘They’re excited about taking development into their own hands and seeing the possibilities. I think the thing about the PGS is really about empowerment of farmers and producers and communities.’
Today the women of Cicia produce handcrafted virgin coconut oil for both health and food consumption. The island is also an organic destination for visitors to Fiji, where people experience organic agriculture and traditional agriculture as it was and as it is now.
Watch : Fiji: The Organic Island