Organic Gardening and Farming in Fiji

Food and nutrition security is becoming a threat in Fiji due to impacts of climate change and frequent natural disasters. Soaring food prices are emerging, and are affecting our households especially the already vulnerable and disadvantaged in our communities. Fiji is making a stand to prepare for the ill-effects of climate change and natural disasters and ensure that our families and communities are resilient, and are food and nutrition secure. The Grow your Own Food Booklet is intended to provide avid gardeners, families and communities simple and practical ways on establishing home food gardens, useful gardening techniques, and organic practic- es. It details caring for your garden and growing fresh vegetables, fruits and starchy staples for household consumption. All you need to know about growing fresh crops is available on the Grow your Own Food Booklet. Follow the simple tips and ways of keeping garden crops healthy. The Booklet also provides a technique for container gardening....

 Organic farming potential Manhire: There is an opportunity for it to grow a lot more THERE is growing potential for Fiji to grow its organic farming capabilities which could translate into better economic growth. This was the view of AgriBusiness Group managing director Jon Manhire who shared his expertise with organic farming stakeholders at a workshop on Developing Organic Agriculture policies in the country.  He said interest in organic agriculture peaked when people started to see the benefi ts that it brought to trade and the health sector. “There seems to be a real interest in growing Fiji's organic industry from both the Government and private sector,” he said. “Fiji is doing quite well in organic farming in comparison to other countries in the Pacifi c and it has grown a lot over the years. “But I think there is an opportunity for it to grow a lot more and actually having a bigger contribution to the health, wellbeing and economy of Fiji.” He explained the health bene...

Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises & Development (FRIEND)  The Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises & Development (FRIEND) is a homegrown community development Organisation headquartered in Lautoka on the west coast of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu. The hallmark of FRIEND’s work is the integrated approach it brings into community development, working with communities in rural and under-served regions around Fiji. Through its integrated social, health and economic interventions, FRIEND empowers communities through knowledge, skills and resources to improve their lives and break out of poverty. With the support of donor partners and through its own funding, FRIEND engages Communities in Programs focussed on Good Governance, Sustainable Livelihoods, Disaster Preparedness and Healthy Living, targeting women, youths, marginalised and men in each community we work in for sustainable development. Food Systems and Health  Our GROW (Agriculture) program is about...

To celebrate the re-branding of Pacific Sun to Fiji Link, Fiji Airways is giving everyone the chance to win a fantastic prize: Win a return trip for two to Kadavu Island staying at Matava, Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort . Prize includes domestic flights, 2 nights Resort accommodation in an Oceanview Bure, all meals and return Kadavu Island Airport – Resort boat transfers. To Enter, simply visit the Fiji Airways  Promotion Page  

Food and Garden Organics Best Practice Collection Manual (PDF - 5.5MB)  |    (Word - 18MB) About the manual Organic waste represents a significant proportion of Australia's waste and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. One objective of the National Waste Policy: Less waste, more resources is to enhance biodegradable (organic) resource recovery and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. To support this objective, the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities commissioned the Food and Garden Organics Best Practice Collection Manual. The Food and Garden Organics Best Practice Collection Manual addresses each step in the consideration, planning and implementation of an organics collection scheme, from investigating the right type of systems to adopt, through to scheme roll out and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of scheme performance. The manual highlights the importance of effective communication and public engage...

William Moss, Master Gardener, helps you understand how prepping your garden for vegetable planting will pay large dividends when it comes to harvesting.  Choose an area for your vegetable garden that receives about 8 hours of sunlight a day, and then clear the space of any debris.  William suggests using OMRI Listed products for your organic garden and turning your soil for the plant’s advantage. Get more suggestions from William by watching this video.  What vegetables and fruits are you growing this season? Prepping Your Vegetable Garden | My Organic Gardening Blog

These organic gardening books are those that have had the most profound effect on me, and I have read a lot of gardening books. Most of them just repeat what the last one said, much of which is not great advice in my opinion (and yet somehow they become the popular ones - funny how that is). But I'm not here to worry about that - the goal today is to give you my list of the best gardening books on my shelves. These organic gardening books are some of the best gardening books out there. Feel free to post down at the bottom if there are other books you would include on this list. I've now spent about 15 hours putting this together, finding pictures, getting the book summaries, writing my thoughts and so on, so I hope you really enjoy it. ' Organic Gardening Books Amazon.com Widgets

Great article on composting in Tropics! One of the secrets of successful native gardening is the lavish use of organic mulch… In our hot tropical monsoonal climate with a long dry season every year,  any measure that reduces the need for watering and saves on water bills is surely commonsense. Bare ground heats up very easily under the relentless tropical sun. Roots can’t grow in baking hot soil. Therefore in North Queensland it is essential to  cover the ground with a thick insulating blanket of mulch to keep the soil temperature cool  enough for the roots of newly planted plants to grow. DON’T EVER USE BLACK PLASTIC TO COVER YOUR SOIL. Sure, it will smoother out weeds, but, being black, it absorbs heat and makes the soil too hot. The roots will cook underneath it. Furthermore, soil needs oxygen otherwise it becomes sour, and black plastic cuts off the air supply. Black plastic is popular in cold climates where the ground needs to be kept warm, but is totally unsuitabl...

We all know (or at least have heard) that  composting  is good. But do we all know why? There are several benefits to creating  compost  and using it in your  organic gardening practices . I recently read some wonderful information and realized that many of us may not know just why we should be crazy about composting. Read on to learn about how great compost truly is for you and your garden, and why you should start composting immediately. First, it is important to understand that composting allows the organic matter and nutrients of a plant to return to the soil. Although it exists in soil already, nutrients are depleted and used by the plants that grow in it and need to be replenished. Compost helps to improve the structure of soil, while improving a soil’s fertility and ph balance. Composting supports and promotes a wide range of soil life, such as bacteria, fungi, worms, or beetles. Compost is also known to create plants that are more resistant to disea...

New information has come out that links an insecticide approved by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to killing off millions of Bees and puts food chain at risk. In early 2011 several leaked documents obtained by a Colorado beekeeper brought light to the fact that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s (EPA) illegitimate approval of Clothianidin, an extremely toxic pesticide made by Bayer CropScience, came regardless of the fact the agency knew it was capable of killing off Bees. As a new study emerges from Purdue University, not only is it 100% confirmed that Clothianidin is killing bees, but also that Clothinaidin’s toxicity is now found throughout the entire food chain... Collective-Evolution – EPA Approved GMO Insecticide Responsible For Killing Off Bees & Puts Entire Food Chain at Risk

Converting your home into an eco-friendly abode can be quite a challenge. There are many things that you need to do especially if you are just starting out with the habit. You need to be keen on the products and the actions that you do from the tiniest to the biggest.  One of the places where you can start your home greening is at your very own garden where you can do a lot of stuff that can help save the environment. Maintaining a garden is not just to please the eyes of your visitors. You can start organic gardening as a way of saving Mother Earth while providing fruits and other healthy stuff for you and your family.  After all, nothing can be better than homegrown fruits and vegetables. You can control what you put into your soil so you can be sure that the crops that you serve are safe for you and your family. Here are a few tips when starting up your own organic garden. Full article here:  Tips when Starting Up...

Great article in local Fiji Times about organic food in resorts in Fiji: I've talked a lot about fresh organic foods in Fiji lately but not every farmer across Fiji understands what this truly means and why Fiji is unique position to produce the world's best fresh produce. Any use of pesticides, herbicides or chemical sprays to kill insects and bugs, or chemical fertilisers used to increase yields, means that the produce will not be organic because those toxins will seep into the soil or plant and change the flavour and nutritional value of the food. Waci Poki made from organic rourou.  Full article here:  Hunt for organic food

A message to all friends and families of guests staying with us. All of our guests are safe and well. Many of our guests are attempting to contact their loved ones at home. You may contact any of our guests via email at info@matava.com if you wish to call you may call on +679-603-0685. We will continue to put up posts as information comes to hand. The guests staying at the resort may be here for a couple of more days, depending on when flights can depart Nadi and land in Kadavu. See also our   Twitter  feed and  Facebook  page for instant info. Weather Situation at Matava, March 2012 | Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort :

by Laetitia Mailhes To eat meat or not to eat meat, that is the question. I find there are many layers to deciding whether to eat meat, what meat to eat and how often. Health, environmental, and social justice considerations all come to mind. They leave a lot of us confused. In some cases, we collapse them into a dogmatic approach that keeps us separate from what actually works best for us. Here is the map of the land as I’ve drawn it while searching for my own path: HEALTH     * pros Meat is the most naturally occurring, well balanced and easily obtained package of proteins, essential acids and source of iron and Vitamin B12 that you can find.     * cons Many scientific studies have demonstrated that meat is linked to the main health issues that plague our Western society (cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, strokes, etc.). Not only is it acid forming in the body, but it taxes the digestive system. The latter is poorly designed...

We’re pleased to announce that Matava – Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort has received the first PADI Green Star award in the Asia Pacific region in November 2011 for our sustainable and eco-conscious environmental activities and business practices. The program helps PADI Dive Centers and Resorts identify practical actions they can take to protect and preserve the environment. Because they choose which conservation actions they would like to implement, PADI Dive Centers and Resorts can completely customize the program for their businesses. “There’s more to going green than simply jumping on the eco bandwagon,” says Bob Coleman, Vice President of Sales, Retailer and Resort Association, PADI Americas, Latin America and Canada. “Well-organized conservation initiatives can reduce costs while strengthening your brand, especially when you strategically introduce them into your overall business plan. Earning the PADI Green Star Award shows customers that you care about the environment and ...

Matava Summer Special 2nd Person 50% off Escape to Fiji to Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort and the Second Person stays Half Price ! Valid for travel between 1st December 2011 – 29th February 2012 Details: valid for double / twin share ANY Matava Dive, Romance or Adventure Package 5 nights stay or longer All meals and airport transfers included Complimentary Snorkelling on Critter Junction Waterfall hike and village afternoon Lovo feast and kava ceremony Additions: Extra night – 2nd person half price (based on double occupancy) Extra days diving – 2nd person half price Single Supplement – Waived Based on published package and add on rates Excludes gamefishing and kayaking packages Travel through 29th February 2011 subject to availability Blackout period: travel Between 23rd December 2011 and 29th December 2011 excluded Air Pacific Special Take a Friend to Fiji for Half Price Air special. Discover the wonders of Matava in Fiji and save money on the second person. For a...

FOUR PILLARS OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 1. REDUCE... By far the biggest impact we can have on global warming is to reduce our consumption. There are dozens of ways which have significant impact without really affecting our lifestyles. These include everything from switching off unneeded lights to car-pooling. 2. REUSE... We can cut down considerably on waste if we use things more than once. Especially packaging and containers – we must do away with single-servings and introduce reusable containers. Additionally, many items we throw away could be given away or resold, to reduce the reliance of others on new goods. 3. RECYCLE... Most of the waste products we pay others to take away could be turned into energy or money. Even rotting garbage gives off methane which could be used to power our cars. In addition, separating your rubbish provides the means for others to recycle (one man’s trash is another man’s treasure). 4. REPLACE... At present, we’re stripping resources from the world. Everythi...