S23 - Session O7 - Postharvest handling practice in the South Pacific and its implications on local food systems

Authors: Steven Underhill *, Salesh Salesh , Leeroy Joshua, Soane Patolo jr., Sarah Burkhart

Commercially sourced fresh horticultural produce has become increasingly important in the South Pacific, driven by increasing rates of urban population drift, low agricultural productivity, and adverse weather events. In the Solomon Islands, only 32% of the urban-population has access to a home-garden, with most now solely dependent on the municipal horticultural and road-side markets to source their fresh fruits and vegetables. While donors have long recognised the importance of horticultural markets in the South Pacific, relatively little is known about Pacific fresh horticultural food marketing and distribution systems, in terms of postharvest practice, food loss, and compatibility with consumer purchasing behaviour. This study assessed municipal and road-side market practice and postharvest loss in the Solomon Islands and Tonga, using a series of semi-structured interview-based vendor surveys. In Solomon Islands, we undertook monthly surveys at the Auki municipal market, Malaita Island, between June 2019 and June 2021. In Tonga, the Talamahu municipal market on Tongatapu Island and the associated road-side markets were surveyed every three months during 2019. Postharvest loss was significantly and consistently higher in municipal markets compared to road-side markets. Elevated loss in municipal markets was attributed to prolong market storage. Market accessibility and consumer convenience were key determinants of postharvest loss. Transport distance and packing type were poorly correlated with loss, with vendors avoiding sourcing product from perceived high risk value chains. In Tonga, vendors sought to restrict market supply as their primary postharvest loss mitigation strategy. These findings are consistent with recent horticultural market studies undertaken in Fiji and Samoa. This paper presents a case for adopting a more de-centralised horticultural market system in the South Pacific. Our findings are topical given significant ongoing donor investment to enhance municipal market infrastructure in the region.