Agriculture accounts for 3.4% of gross domestic product and 8.3% of employment in Mauritius. Although Mauritius is considered a net-food-importing country by the World Trade Organization, the small-scale agriculture sector is vital to the production of some 115,000 tons of food crops annually. Some 9,000 small-scale farmers are involved in vegetable and fruit production, with limited capacity in marketing group initiatives. There is growing demand for higher-quality food in Mauritius. In the light of growing concerns about food quality and safety, farmers’ and workers’ health and safety and the health of the environment, there is a need to address the risks inherent in fresh fruit and vegetable production in Mauritius. The Government of Mauritius is developing and implementing a green agricultural certification scheme and has introduced eco-labelling for local sustainable food. Market pull needs to be enhanced, however, to drive sustainable food supply.
The SUS-AGRI project aims to promote sustainable local food in Mauritius by leveraging the channel power of the retail and hotel sector to drive sustainable food consumption and production.
