Farmer and market vendor perceptions of COVID-19 impacts on horticultural fresh food systems in Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa

BACKGROUND: When the global COVID-19 pandemic and state of emergency was declared in early 2020, South Pacific Island nations rapidly closed their borders resulting in significant socio-economic upheaval. With the South Pacific region highly vulnerable to external shocks, there was concern amongst Pacific governments and international donors as to the implications of COVID-19 restrictions on the local food system. METHODS: Horticultural farmers and market vendors (n = 825) were surveyed in Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa, using local enumerators, over a five-month period (July to November 2020), which represented the initial phase of COVID-19 restrictions in the region. Data were disaggregated based on location, farmer and vendor impacts, and postharvest loss. RESULTS: Farmers in Fiji (86%) were more likely to experience difficulties in selling their crops during the initial stages of COVID-19 restrictions, compared to farmers on the smaller Pacific Island nations of Tonga (10%) or Samoa (53%). While market vendors in Fiji (73.2%) and Tonga (56.8%) were similarly impacted, few vendors (22%) in Samoa were affected. Farmers and market vendors on the islands of Viti Levu (Fiji) and Upolu (Samoa), specifically those supplying or located in the key urban centres were more likely to experience elevated postharvest loss. Elevated postharvest loss due to COVID-19 was more prevalent amongst municipal market vendors, peri-urban farms and vendors sourcing from larger commercial farms. Road-side vendors and vendors in the rural areas were less likely to incur elevated loss. CONCLUSIONS: While fresh horticultural food systems in Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa were all adversely effected by COVID-19 restrictions, these impacts were more acute in Fiji. Given value chains associated with main urban centres were more likely to incur elevated postharvest loss, this would imply consumers were avoiding town centres and alternatively sourcing fresh fruit and vegetable from rural road-side vendors. Pacific road-side vendors appear to have provided an important fresh food distribution capacity during local COVID-19 travel restrictions.