BY SAMIE WAIKORI
The Pacific Island Forum through its Pacific Island Forum Trade Department is working with Kava groups in the region to establish a treaty that could protect Kava – as a biocultural heritage of the Pacific Islands.
The treaty comes from Pacific Islands Development Strategy Declaration on Kava, which was endorsed by Pacific Island Forum Leaders in 2024. The objective of the treaty is to protect kava from being commercialized and to recognize the cultural importance of kava to Pacific islanders.
The Technical Chair of Working Kava Group, who is also the Chair of Kava Committee Tonga and Advisor Palace Officer Tonga, Mr Feiloakitau Tevi said during the Pacific Trade Ministers’ meeting this year, they were asked to work around geographical indicators for Kava – to look further at the Kava declaration.
“So, in order to get to the treaty on Kava, we needed to have the first step, which is the Kava declaration.
“And so, the Kava declaration is formed in such a way that the declaration more or less talks about the cultural, traditional importance of Kava.
“So, for all of this to say, basically, Kava for us is of cultural importance. And we cannot just let Kava be commercialised and traded like we have gifted bananas and sugarcane to the world,” he said.
Mr Tevi added both products are from South Pacific and were taken by colonial master been commercialized.
Kava is one of those products that if we do not protect it, and if not safeguard against mass commercialisation, we will not reap benefits and our people will not reap the benefits of it.
“And the Kava declaration is one step in the process of trying to protect the name and trying to protect the product and the plant.
“But the declaration is not restrictive. It’s not an obligation right now. It’s just an aspiration.
“This is what we would like to do. It strengthens the base product’s integrity because it covers the Pacific role and Pacific process. It also gives us a strategic advantage in terms of market.
“Kava should come from the Pacific. That’s what we’re trying to say through this declaration. The team is working with PIF on the undertaking,” he affirmed.
Moreover, Tevi said in May, the inaugural Pacific Regional Kava festival was held in Tonga at the Pacific Week of Agriculture. This is one of the outcomes of the Regional Kava Strategy.
He added that during the event, it was twisted to Solomon Islands Minister of Agriculture, and that means Solomon Islands would host next year’s Pacific Regional
“So, we hope to have a Pacific Regional Kava Festival hosted in the Solomon Islands at some point in time before the next Pacific Islands Forum in Palau.
“So that gives us one more excuse to come back to the Solomon Islands, to come and enjoy the islands.
“I think Malaita is holding its hand up to host the Regional Kava Festival. So we look forward to going there” Tevi said.
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