Title: Assessment of the Cocoa Industry
Location: Fiji
Client: Ministry of Agriculture Waterways and Sugar Industry
Year: 2024
Challenge:
Fiji’s cocoa industry holds real promise—but for years, that potential has remained largely untapped. Despite ideal growing conditions and strong global demand for premium cocoa, many farms today sit idle or underperforming, with ageing trees and limited maintenance holding farmers back.
Joint Response:
To better understand what was needed, the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways commissioned Grow Asia Pacific to carry out a rapid assessment of the cocoa industry in Fiji. The Grow Asia Pacific team visited villages and plantations across key cocoa growing regions, connected with farmers and saw first-hand the challenges farmers face—overgrown blocks, invasive weed trees, difficult access and limited pruning that restricts sunlight, airflow, and ultimately production.
The response was practical and immediate. Through targeted workshops, farmers learned how to bring their cocoa blocks back to life—clearing weed trees, reshaping canopies, and restoring basic farm management practices. Training in safe chainsaw use added an important layer, giving communities the confidence and skills to carry out this work themselves.
Impact:
What emerged was clear: many of Fiji’s cocoa farms are not lost—they simply require the right support to recover. This was captured in the assessment report submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways, with its findings contributing directly to the development of the national 10-year cocoa strategy. With renewed knowledge and practical tools, farmers have a clear and immediate pathway to unlock existing potential—taking the first steps toward restoring productivity and rebuilding confidence in cocoa as a viable livelihood.
Title: Assessment of the Cocoa Industry
Location: Fiji
Client: Ministry of Agriculture Waterways and Sugar Industry
Year: 2024
Challenge:
Fiji’s cocoa industry holds real promise—but for years, that potential has remained largely untapped. Despite ideal growing conditions and strong global demand for premium cocoa, many farms today sit idle or underperforming, with ageing trees and limited maintenance holding farmers back.
Joint Response:
To better understand what was needed, the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways commissioned Grow Asia Pacific to carry out a rapid assessment of the cocoa industry in Fiji. The Grow Asia Pacific team visited villages and plantations across key cocoa growing regions, connected with farmers and saw first-hand the challenges farmers face—overgrown blocks, invasive weed trees, difficult access and limited pruning that restricts sunlight, airflow, and ultimately production.
The response was practical and immediate. Through targeted workshops, farmers learned how to bring their cocoa blocks back to life—clearing weed trees, reshaping canopies, and restoring basic farm management practices. Training in safe chainsaw use added an important layer, giving communities the confidence and skills to carry out this work themselves.
Impact:
What emerged was clear: many of Fiji’s cocoa farms are not lost—they simply require the right support to recover. This was captured in the assessment report submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways, with its findings contributing directly to the development of the national 10-year cocoa strategy. With renewed knowledge and practical tools, farmers have a clear and immediate pathway to unlock existing potential—taking the first steps toward restoring productivity and rebuilding confidence in cocoa as a viable livelihood.
