New partnership to see more Pacific food products in NZ

Transcript

A new trade partnership between a New Zealand company and its Pacific partners could see more food products from the region sold in New Zealand stores.

Pacific Trade and Invest has teamed up with the Produce Company which distributes more than 3000 products to restaurants, cafes and caterers around New Zealand.

Pacific producers say the partnership will have a valuable impact on tourism, the economies and sustainability in the islands.

Indira Stewart has more.

Products from twelve Pacific companies were showcased this week at the Fine Food New Zealand trade expo in Auckland to promote the new partnership.  Manager Joe Fuavao says industry partners have shown great interest in Pacific products.

JOE FUAVAO:  A lot of the cafe owners, the restauranteurs that have come across our stand - you know, they've seen the word Pacific and started to have a look at what we have on offer. I think it's excited a lot of the exhibitors today and a lot of visitors for our stand. They see a lot of exotic products and want to see what they could source that would give them a little bit of an edge in the market.

Among the products were gluten-free breadfruit flour, cassava flour, Samoa cocoa cubes, Vanuatu organic spices and coconut candy.  Mr Fuavao says flavoured kava shots from Fiji have been a crowd favourite.

JOE FUAVAO:  It's been a real a winner. I think a lot of people have been quite curious about the effects of Kava. They're used to seeing it in powder form so now seeing the product packaged and well presented is certainly generating the interest amongst a lot of the cafes and bars.

Niue Vanilla has been a frequent exhibitor at overseas trade shows including in Paris, France, Italy, Australia and Singapore.  Owner Stanley Kalauni says he uses his products to promote tourism in Niue. 

STANLEY KALAUNI:  Most of them they've never heard of Niue, never been to Niue. When we exhibit we also carry our Niue tourism brochure - I mean, otherwise we'll be answering questions about Niue everyday, every five minutes. So what we do is we hand out a lot of these brochures to customers and people just coming over to our booth.

Cook Islander Sean Rota is one of only a handful of distillers on the international market who source ingredients from the Pacific.  He says his company, Ariki, is committed to supporting Pacific growers and helping sustainability.

SEAN ROTA:  Our Vanilla which comes from the islands of Mangaia and Rarotonga, I have used some Niuean Vanilla and Tahiti to include into our botanicals as part of our Vodka and also our Gin. We also use our coconut which is from Tonga. So I wanted to give it a real true pacific blend and we're looking to introduce other botanicals that will give it a real polynesian style and pacific edge to our Gin.

The use of coconut oil has been a growing trend in health and beauty markets worldwide, opening doors for Pacific farmers.  John Drew, owner of Blue Coconut Oil, which is sold in New Zealand supermarkets sources his coconuts from Melanesia.  He says he's proud to have partnered with his Pacific neighbours and continues to put back into the communities he has worked with.

JOHN DREW:  We also put water tanks into villages that have made a huge difference. You know, some of these poor women were carting water for 14 kilometres on a daily basis. And to see the gratitude in their eyes was something else.

VCO Natural, which also produces coconut oil, has established a microfactory in Fiji with one in progress in Solomon Islands.  A staff member, Breeze Jenner, says there are challenges for industry partners in the Pacific but the benefits for the communities are great.

BREEZE JENNER:  It can be quite difficult with trying to develop an infrastructure for the Pacific which is why a lot of companies and a lot of countries prefer to avoid the Pacific. But we thought, we'll just do it the hard way and see how it goes. And I think the quality that comes from the good coconuts out there in the Pacific and the people who are willing to work hard to develop their country is what is more rewarding.

Director John Stokes from the Produce Company says the company is working with various Pacific businesses to achieve export standards and explore more opportunities.