Fiji is stepping boldly towards transforming its agricultural export profile, and has now set its sights on the booming global specialty coffee market, with international industry leaders now backing the island nation’s aromatic ambitions.
At a welcome dinner hosted at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa on Monday, (19/05/25), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, MSMEs and Communications Honourable Manoa Kamikamica, extended a warm welcome to a visiting delegation of coffee industry heavyweights, signaling a potential game-changer for Fiji’s agribusiness sector.
Among the guests were Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association, Sasa Sestic of ONA Coffee, and Maheer Prasad, CEO of ONA Coffee Fiji. Their presence marked a critical moment in the country’s efforts to commercialise and upscale its wild coffee production, particularly in regions such as Ra Province where ideal growing conditions already exist.
“The question is not whether coffee can grow here, it already does, but how we move from scattered production to a disciplined, quality-driven industry,” said Hon. Kamikamica referring to Fiji’s volcanic soils, highland microclimates, and rural expertise as key natural advantages.
The initiative aligns with Fiji’s broader development strategy that prioritises agriculture as a driver of inclusive growth, job creation, and export diversification. While the nation has made headway in sugar, kava, and root crops, and more recently in high-value horticulture, specialty coffee presents the next logical frontier.
The delegation during the week will visit farms in Ra Province, meet local growers harvesting wild coffee, and assess potential sites for processing facilities. These field visits aim to inform crucial technical decisions ranging from varietal selection to post-harvest handling, ensuring that the resultant infrastructure matches the standards of the global specialty coffee market.
To support this initiative, Government has already mobilised a multi-agency working group chaired by the Ministry for Trade, with Investment Fiji playing a key role in navigating regulatory approvals.
Simultaneously, relevant Government departments and agencies are working with customary landowners to secure investor-friendly tenure agreements without compromising traditional land stewardship.
DPM Kamikamica in his address stressed that while policy is important, success hinges on trust and collaboration, between farmers and buyers, communities and investors, and Fiji and its global partners.
“Successful partnerships are built on mutual accountability,” the DPM noted, calling for continued feedback and transparency from all sides.
With this initiative and as the world’s demand for ethically sourced, high-quality coffee continues to grow, Fiji is positioning itself as a viable and sustainable origin.
The groundwork laid during this mission could well turn the nation’s coffee dreams into a thriving export reality, one sip at a time.