Increased Capacity of Rural Communities to Process and Market Local Food - TCP/FIJ/3601

Abstract

The majority of the population of Fiji lives in rural areas. However, as in other comparable developing countries, ongoing economic transitions in Fiji are contributing to rural-urban migration, as people seek access to better economic opportunities, as well as a greater standard of healthcare and education. This urban drift generates numerous challenges in Fiji, for instance demographic pressures on urban livelihoods, which contribute to unemployment, and the abandonment of agricultural production, which contributes to a decrease in income-generation in rural areas. Within this context, the Government of Fiji recognized the need to strengthen the capacities of rural youth (including women) in food processing and value addition activities to add value to raw local products, in order to overcome seasonality and reduce or reverse urban drift. The Government therefore requested that FAO provide assistance to strengthen the capacity of rural communities (particularly youth and women) in safe local food processing and value addition. Against this background, the project aimed to enhance the capacity of targeted rural groups in Viti Levu’s rural communities to process, produce and market safe value-added products from locally grown produce, and create income-generation opportunities.