Fiji

Fiji is a Pacific island nation comprising 300 islands across 1.3 million square kilometers and is classified as an upper middle-income country with a GDP of 5.537 billion USD in 2018. Approximately 28% of Fiji is arable land, which supports an agricultural industry that makes up around 13.5% of GDP. Agriculture in Fiji is predominantly based on the farming of root vegetables and horticulture. Issues with quality and inconsistency have prevented local agricultural producers from being able to meet the demands of the Fijian tourism industry, which has created numerous business opportunities to sustainably grow and refine the agricultural industry in Fiji. The industrial sector in Fiji makes up approximately 17.4% of GDP and includes a robust manufacturing industry that produces goods such as textiles, footwear and beverages. Furthermore, the industrial sector in Fiji supports a large energy industry that already generates over 50% of its energy from renewable sources. As the Government of Fiji would like to become fully reliant on renewable energy by the year 2036, there remain opportunities to collaborate towards meeting this national goal. The largest sector of Fiji’s economy is the service sector, which makes up roughly 69.1% of GDP. Tourism is the largest component of Fiji’s service sector, which saw 870,309 visitor arrivals in 2018 at a total valuation of 1.37 billion USD or 30% of GDP. Within the Fijian tourism industry, a variety of opportunities exist for collaboration related to the sustainable growth of the marine ecotourism industry, which is valued at 574 million USD annually.

Fiji is also host to a growing startup community that is supported by international organizations, such as the World Bank and the Global Green Growth Institute. Working with startups in Fiji is advantageous due to the numerous opportunities for growth available in several—often overlapping—industries, such as agriculture, tourism and energy. Furthermore, working with startups on climate adaptation and mitigation is another potential point of collaboration, as large portions of the Fijian economy are likely to be increasingly affected by climate change, including the tourism industry.