9 March 2012: The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is providing assistance to Fiji sugar cane growers as they face the challenges posed by the end of the sugar protocol, a preferential trade agreement with the EU. Together with the EU, SPC aims to assist stakeholders in current and former sugar growing areas to improve their livelihoods.

The EU sugar protocol historically provided African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) sugar-producing countries with guaranteed duty-free access to the EU market for raw sugar cane and sugar beet. However, the arrangement has now ended to ensure EU arrangements are in line with world trade rules.

SPC and the EU are now working with Fiji farmers to assess sugar farming issues, including climate change, sustainable land management and marketing, with a view to improving the livelihoods of sugar cane stakeholders. Fiji’s sugar production has fallen in recent years due to decreased profitability. SPC estimates that restoring profitability by 2015 is possible, but will require the release of approximately 20% of the least productive land used for cane production for other uses. SPC will provide assistance to farmers on matching crops to the right types of soil and land, and in pursuing Fair Trade Certification. [SPC Press Release]