Around 8,500 of Vanuatu’s agricultural households rely significantly on the sale of cocoa, which is still a substantial exportable crop. Vanuatu’s cocoa is recognized for its wonderful flavors, which are attributable to a combination of the ideal tropical climate (soil and temperature) in which it is grown and the processing processes used. To thrive in premium export markets, PHAMA Plus has assisted with increased quality and development in its upstream supply chain through its cooperation with Gaston Chocolat. The partnership also helped Gaston get high-quality cocoa beans by gaining two gateway certifications: the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) certificate and the B Corp. accreditation. These certifications allow Gaston Chocolat goods to retain and expand their international market access.

The Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program is supporting Solomon Islands’ cocoa sector to improve the quality of their bulk cocoa exports to achieve higher prices and develop markets for premium grade cocoa, which is typically smoke/taint-free, well-fermented and graded to remove impurities. This creates a price premium for improved quality cocoa, improving returns for cocoa businesses and growers. PHAMA Plus, and its predecessor PHAMA, supported Cathliro to establish its first premium cocoa market in 2017 with a small export consignment of 200kg to a company in the United Kingdom (UK). The following year, their exports more than doubled to 500kg exported to another premium chocolate-maker in the UK.

Maintaining kava quality is essential for sustained market access. This is one of the biggest challenges faced by processors and exporters like Lami Kava Ltd that are dependent on accessing raw materials from a large number of small growers working across wide ranging conditions and a large geographic area. The diversity of raw materials and variations in on-farm kava drying practices, can translate into significant variations in the quality of dried kava being available at the farm gate. In response to this challenge, Lami Kava explored an alternative business model that involves buying green kava from growers and moving the washing and drying process in-house. By changing its procurement practice from ‘farm-gate green’ to ‘factory dried’, Lami Kava established greater control over the quality of its raw material supply chain. Lami Kava approached PHAMA Plus to consider the technologies and investment required to move from a manual washing process to an automatic workflow. The result was an agreement to co-invest in a new green kava washing, cleaning and grading facility in 2021.

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To trade successfully in agricultural and horticultural export markets, there is increasing pressure on exporters to comply with food safety and quality standards that can be independently verified by a third party. This may be a regulatory requirement for market access and/or an opportunity to capture a market that offers a premium price for high-quality produce. A food safety management system based on HACCP principles is a systematic approach to identifying and controlling hazards whether microbiological, chemical, or physical, that could pose a threat to the production of safe food. It involves identifying what could go wrong in a food system and planning how to prevent it. HACCP certification is increasingly preferred by customers and, whilst a company may have an excellent HACCP plan, going through the process of certification ensures that this plan is independently verified to meet all relevant compliance standards.

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African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic and wild pigs. The disease is not harmful to humans, but it has a 95-100% case fatality rate in pigs. It is transboundary and can spread through live or dead pigs and pork products. It can also spread through contaminated feed and on shoes, clothes, vehicles, food scraps, knives, and other equipment. The experience of China, which has lost 50% of its national herd since the first case was detected in 2018, is illustrative of the potential impact of the disease. On March 26, 2020, as most of the world was responding to COVID-19, the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) laboratory at CSIRO1, confirmed cases of ASF in the Mendi-Munihu District of Southern Highlands Province in PNG. With an estimated 20,000 pigs infected, this significant outbreak was a cause of national concern, with an earlier PHAMA Plus study indicating that an uncontrolled ASF outbreak could reduce the pig population in PNG by up to 90% and put the livelihoods of 340,000 households at risk. (Young, D., 2020). A rapid and effective response was essential.

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