Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fiji
Fiji is comprised of 322 islands, 110 of whih are inhabited. he main islands of Viti
Levu and Vanua Levu account for 85 per cent of the total land area. Currently, Fiji
has an overall urban population of around 50 per cent, whih is higher than the es-
timate of 40 per cent for the Pacific island region. Fiji is categorized as a middle in-
come country, with a per capita income of 2,172 USD. The contribution of agricul-
ture to GDP is estimated to be around 10.49 per cent (2008), with sugar and subsist-
ence farming dominating the sector. In 2006, the Human Development Index (HDI)
ranked Fiji relatively high in various human development indicators (life expect-
ancy, adult literacy, quality of life). Compared to other developing countries, Fiji re-
ceived an HDI rank of 90 out of 178 countries, whih represents the highest ranking
amongst the small PICs (Samoa, HDI: 75; Tonga, HDI: 55).
However, in parallel with rapid urbanization, squater setlement growth has
'mushroomed' in Fiji. he number of 'registered' squater setlements in Fiji range
from 184 to 190, whih have a combined squater population of 90,000 to 100,000, re-
spectively. Over a seven year period (1996-2003), the squater population in Fiji has
risen 73 per cent, as the 'first wave' of land leases, signed 30 years ago, have begun
expiring (hornton, 2009b). Nationwide, the squater population consists of 46 per
cent landless indigenous Fijians and 53 per cent ethnic Indian (Indo)-Fijians.
The impact of the garment industry's decline and its impact on women in par-
ticular are oten overlooked in discussions of poverty and squater growth in Fiji.
Thousands of women, mostly young Indo-Fijian garment workers, lost their jobs in
the economic downturn that followed the 2000 putsh. In seeking alternatives to un-
employment, many of these women are now believed to be engaged in UPA-related
livelihoods. In addition to ethnic and gender biases, class inequalities also exist, as
not all indigenous Fijians reap the benefits of land ownership. Land ownership is
reserved for high-ranking members of the indigenous mataqali. Hence, the issue of
landless Fijians is not confined to the ethnic Indo-Fijian minority, or evicted sugar
cane farmers.
Lautoka City Council: making inroads to a formal peri-urban agriculture
sector?
Many sugar cane farmers on the west coast of Viti Levu live in established residential
farming communities in Lautoka, Fiji's second largest city (population 43,000). In
one suh community, 'Field 40', Indo-Fijian households with expired agri-leases are
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