Rooted in resilience: Vanuatu kava’s bright future
KAVA accounts for the majority of Vanuatu’s economic activity, and operators intend to become the main producers of the commodity in the
Kava
Kava player: Ready to take over the market
A GROWING global need for yaqona (kava), and the threat of a disease with the potential to destroy vast swathes of the crop in Fiji, could push Papua New Guinea into the position of the world’s major
Kiribati women’s minister says kava abuse is wrecking families
A government minister in Kiribati is worried that the amount of kava being imported and consumed is threatening the country's development and peoples' way of
Tonga urges Pacific to halt kava extracts, but Vanuatu and Fiji push back
A brewing debate has surfaced among Pacific Island nations over how best to protect and preserve the cultural and economic value of kava, the region’s cherished traditional
New U.S tariff offers potential advantage for Vanuatu kava
Michael Louze says U.S. tariff could boost demand for Vanuatu’s kava
PNG producer lobbying to get more out of kava
A Papua New Guinea kava supplier, Ocean Kava Limited is lobbying for Fiji's government to change its kava import
Kava: Protecting our lifeblood
Kava is of immense cultural significance to peoples across the region: yaqona in Fiji, malogu in Vanuatu, 'ava in Samoa, 'awa in Hawai’i and sakau in the Federated States of
Is the Pacific moving fast enough on Kava protection?
Pacific Island nations are considering implementing Geographical Indication (GI) protections for kava to safeguard its reputation and uniqueness. This move aims to capitalise on the growing global demand for kava and
From Samoa with alofa
“Our vision is to take Samoa products to the world,” says Nathan Wilson, Director of Wilex Samoa. “That was the founder, my father Tangaloa Eddie Wilson’s vision, to create a gateway for the Samoan people to get
Kava exports are multi-million Kina commodity, says PNG Minister
Papua New Guinea has the potential to surpass Fiji and Vanuatu in kava exports, which is becoming a multi-million Kina commodity, said International Trade and Investment Minister, Richard Maru. Maru said that kava was
New partnership to further improve Fiji’s kava production
The Fiji National University and the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus Program (PHAMA Plus) have launched a collaborative research initiative to further improve the consistency and reliability of
Cultural importance behind decision not to restrict kava use in NZ, as Australia tightens rules urgently
A Pacific kava expert has praised the government for not restricting its use, despite the Australian government urgently tightening their rules. Last year, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) agreed to amend
A sacred crop affected by climate change
The jarring sound of men hocking spit contrasts sharply with the quiet conversation and humming cicadas at Port Vila’s waterside Nagotambo Nakamal at dusk. "It's like, [the] nectar of the gods. It's sacred,”
Fiji Kava prepares to rebrand as The Calmer Co
Fiji Kava will rebrand as The Calmer Co and complete its acquisition of ready-to-drink kava brand Leilo after spending the September quarter preparing for the strategic milestones, reports The Market Herald. The renamed
Safeguarding Pacific Livelihoods and the Pacific’s Vital Kava Sector
Well before Australia announced it was opening up to commercial imports of kava, cultivation of the crop in Pacific Island nations such as Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands had been
Commercial kava pilot off to a flying start
When the Australian government gave the green light for a two-year commercial kava pilot program in December last year, “the excitement was palpable,” Australia's Minister for International Development and Pacific,
Pharmaceutical market now ‘risky’
Geographical indicators to be developed for kava A leading kava scientist in the Pacific has labelled as "risky" any kava comeback in the pharmaceutical market, stressing that success of the crop as an export commodity
Coffee, cakes and kava
It’s an ordinary afternoon in Suva city, with school students flooding towards the bus stand and window shopping. Car horns honk as drivers speed through the city or are stuck in traffic. Shop owners prepare to
Opinion: Promoting kava exports, ignoring sustainability
On 1 December 2021, Australia launched a pilot program for the commercial importation of kava from the Pacific islands, joining a modest global boom in trade in this iconic Pacific product. As Pacific Trade Invest
Unlimited commercial kava export trial to Australia gets nod
Kava exporters from the Pacific Islands can now export an unlimited amount of kava to Australia for commercial purposes, under Phase 2 of Australia’s Kava Pilot program. Launching Phase 2 in Canberra yesterday in