Pacific Island Farmers to Grow Tourism - Pacific Agribusiness week 2015

Tourists to the Pacific Islands will see more local food on their plates, if delegates to the first ever Pacific Community Agritourism Week get their way. Opened today in Nadi, the Agritourism Week is a collaborative effort between the European Union, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) and the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at the University of the South Pacific (USP). The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO) are also event partners, providing technical and business perspectives. It involves nearly 100 attendees from the Pacific, Caribbean and Indian Ocean and aims to close the gap between what farmers are supplying and what the tourism operators want to buy. "Promoting the links between agriculture and tourism can contribute to improve economic opportunities, build resilience in rural communities and enhance sustainable development", the Head of Operations for the Delegation of the European Union for the Pacific, Renato Mele, said at the event opening.

“To create jobs, you need businesses who lead innovation and change. Agriculture and tourism seem to offer the best opportunity for inclusive economic growth in the region,” Mr Mele added. He also highlighted the commitment of the European Union to the development of the private sector, widely recognized as the engine of growth by generating jobs, contributing to public revenue and providing goods and services. "Two European Union regional projects are already ongoing in the sectors of agriculture and tourism. These are implemented in partnership with SPC and SPTO respectively", he emphasised. Tourism in the Pacific Island countries grew about 3.5 per cent per year between 2008 and 2012. The total value of Pacific tourism is forecast to nearly double to US$4 billion by 2019.  However, the economic benefits also come with costs. Up to 80 per cent of the food in the tourism industry is imported, partly because the hotels and airlines need reliable supplies of good quality products.

See more via the SPC website: http://www.spc.int/pafpnet/newsroom/news-press-releases/255-promoting-agribusiness-development-in-the-pacific