Blog: Visting the Sugar belt and launching a new FRIENDly organic label - Hoofdinhoud

My recent trip to Fiji

As you may know if you follow my Twitter or Facebook accounts, I’ve recently come back from a visit to Fiji. My visit was very important for the EU, for Fiji and for our Pacific partners, as we signed the development programmes (also known as the National Indicative Programmes) with Fiji and with Papua New Guinea as well as the regional development programme for the Pacific Region (officially called the Regional Indicative Programme). These development programmes frame the priority sectors for our cooperation with those two countries and the Pacific Region as a whole for the next six years.

Priority areas of the Regional Indicative Programme are regional economic integration; sustainable management of natural resources and the environment as well as management of waste; and inclusive and accountable governance and respect for human rights.

Witnessing impact of the EU assistance on the ground

During the visit, I had the pleasure of meeting with women NGO groups in Suva, I toured a couple of EU supported projects in Fiji's sugar belt area, such as the Sugar Research Institute of Fiji, and I was pleased to launch the organic certification seal for the grassroots based NGO, FRIEND which launched their first organically produced product - organic lemongrass herbal tea.

We know the importance of the sugar sector for Fiji and its direct implications on the economy of the nation and the well-being of its people. EU support to the Sugar Research Institute of Fiji has helped to develop new facilities, support the purchase of new equipment and contribute to train the staff of the Institute.

The FRIEND project certainly showcases the EU's work to support farmers in the sugar belt. The project was key to reducing poverty and is a good example and a good story to tell to Fiji, the region and EU tax payers about the difference that the EU is making to reduce poverty and to promote economic development at grassroots level.

During my visit, I underlined that we want to see that more people, especially the poorest and those living in remote areas, have access to information, to opportunities and to resources to move themselves out of poverty. This is the spirit we have applied to our new programme with Fiji, from 2015 to 2020. We’ll continue to work in the agriculture sector, in the sugar belt of Fiji and with NGOs to ensure that we continue to make a difference for the people of Fiji.