New strategy aims to defend kava from crass commercialisation

With roots in Pacific culture stretching back centuries, kava is now at the centre of a regional effort to safeguard its heritage while boosting its economic potential.

A recent milestone is the Pacific Kava Development Strategy (PKDS), which aims to protect kava's intellectual property, quality, and market access across the globe.

Speaking on Pacific Mornings, trade policy officer for the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Moana Matariki, said the strategy has been on the regional agenda since the early 2000s following the kava ban in Europe.

“In 2020, foreign trade ministers of the 18 forum island countries decided to bring back those discussions at the regional level to ensure that there's a regional approach towards the development of the strategy, but also having members on board in having their views discussed at the regional level.”

Trade policy officer for the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat, Moana Matariki. Photo/PIFS

In early June, Pacific Kava producing countries agreed on the plan for the Regional and United Kava Approach.

The strategy was launched by Tongan Princess, Latufuipeka Tuku’aho in August during the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting.

This means the Pacific is one step closer to protecting the cultural heritage, quality, intellectual property and economic benefits of kava produced in the region.

It will also ensure that importers will be reassured that the kava has high quality and standards and ensure easier market access for companies.

PIF Leaders with Princess Latufuipeka Tuku'aho (centre) during the meeting held in Tonga this August. Photo/Joseph Safiti

For island nations such as Vanuatu, kava exports increased by 366% from 2014 to 2022, something Matariki says other island nations can learn from when it comes to supporting the industry at the national level.

“If we look at Vanuatu, I think the legislative environment that they had taken initially back in 2002, they had gotten the legislative act.

“So they have a kava act and they also have a national kava strategy and a kava policy in comparison to the other Pacific island countries.

“They are still looking at developing their national strategies and kava act at the national level.”

The strategy emphasises protecting kava as a Pacific product through intellectual property rights such as the Geographic Indication (GI) status.

This helps prevent the misappropriation of kava by foreign producers and ensures that only authentic kava from the Pacific can be marketed under that name, safeguarding both the product’s cultural and economic value.

Matariki emphasises on the need to protect the name of kava and its importance when it comes to cultural aspects.

“It is one of the six priorities under the Regional Kava Development Strategy in protecting the biocultural heritage for kava.

“The World Intellectual Property Organization is also supporting the region in having this geographic indication for kava, as we know, it is from the region, belongs to the region. And therein, we would like to ensure that GI for kava is protected for the Pacific region.”

Matariki says international partners have played a key role in supporting the implementation of the Regional Kava Development Strategy.

“Back in 2015 at the African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) States organisation in Brussels, they pushed so that there is funding towards kava at that level.

“So it's similar to how they have a program for cocoa and sugar. Kava now has that program at the ACP level, but also the European Union has taken a keen interest in that.”

Watch Matariki's full interview on 531pi Pacific Mornings here

The Implementation Plan of the RKDS is led by the Pacific Islands Forum and the Pacific community, in collaboration with the SPIRIT (Strengthening Pacific Intra-Regional and International Trade) project.

This is implemented by the Pacific Islands Forum and funded by the European Union.

Matariki says the strategy includes efforts to dismantle misconceptions of kava and advocate for its benefits.

“The next step is also having the international standards for kava. And that is one key step that the members are looking towards.

“If we go back to Vanuatu's case, we have to promote and encourage the standards for kava, not only at the farm level but also all through the value chain.

“I believe our members are working towards this and with the strategy in place and the implementation plan that they themselves had agreed to.

“We believe that we will get the support and we already have support from our development partners, but also at the regional level to ensure that the production, the quality of kava is maintained to ensure that our markets remain open.”