The Modernization of Fiji ’s Food System and the Resulting Implications on Fijian Society: A Synthesis

Beginning in the early 19th century, Fiji’s contact with several industrialized nations of Europe and the west contributed to rapid changes in its food system– changes that have had massive effects on Fiji’s economy and politics, on both local and global scales, as well as on the health and identity of the people who call Fiji home. Using a longitudinal model, the author traces the modernization of the Fiji food system from before European contact, through the period of colonial rule, the introduction of the cash economy, and the beginnings of urbanization to its status in the spring of 2009. In addition to history and empirical fact, this synthesis includes analysis in the form of the resulting implications of Fiji’s food system modernization on aspects of contemporary Fijian society. Through the extrapolation of current trends in the ever-changing food system, questions of future food security begin to arise, which are explored at the end of the paper