Growing Island Exports: High Value Crops and the Future of Agriculture in the Pacific

Abstract

If we measure economic activity by its contribution to human livelihood, small-holder agricultural production is easily the most important sector for island countries of the Pacific. The traditional economy – marked by localised production on communal land – is generally poorly recognised. Nevertheless it provides food security and employment for the majority of the region’s people. Nor is local production divorced from the global economy; cash cropping for export is important even in many of the most isolated of island communities.This paper explores prospects for Pacific agricultural production. While island states exhibit competitive disadvantages in the export of undifferentiated tropical commodities, the future is bright for some higher-value niche products (though prospects for the smallest atoll islands remain poor). Key to helping island communities benefit from trade is the development of value chains that complement existing farming methods. In many cases marketing ‘the Pacific story’ is crucial for product differentiation. Fair-trade and organic certification also offers opportunities for improved returns.Quarantine barriers are a major hurdle, and much could be done to develop new export pathways. International cooperation regarding quarantine issues, and through aid-for-agricultural-trade, will help to realise potential gains.