An Exploration Into The Economic, Social And Environmental Barriers For Engaging In Small-Scale Food Processing By Female Small-Holder Farmers In Fiji

My research is an exploration of the economic, social and environmental barriers for engaging in small-scale processing of crops by female smallholder farmers in Fiji. I worked in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of Fiji, and specifically with the Fiji Agricultural Partnership Project (FAPP), which is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). My research focuses on the barriers female smallholder farmers face when attempting to engage in a new forms of income diversification and examines the current issues of gender relations and food security in the FAPP project area. The aim of my research is to identify the barriers these women face in engaging in small-scale food processing as an income diversification strategy, to provide up to date research on this topic for the Ministry of Agriculture and for FAPP, as well as help fill a gap in research surrounding small-scale female farmers in Fiji. My research question is therefore; What are the main economic, social and environmental barriers for engaging in small-scale food processing by female small-holder farmers in the FAPP project area? My research encompasses several different issues within agriculture development in Fiji, including income diversification, gender inequality and food insecurity. This report is an overview of my research, including my methodology and research methods in which I explore my research framework, sampling methods and focus group, followed by my results that illustrate my findings, my discussion is which I give a brief analysis is my three main findings and finally my conclusion in which I give a summation of my overall research and findings.