ABSTRACT

Santalum yasi (yasi) was first exploited in Fiji in the early 1800s and has been harvested periodically but heavily ever since. Yasi produces one of the most valuable sandalwoods, being high in α- and β-santalols and typically meeting the East Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) ISO standard for sandalwood oil. Although wild yasi stands are now near to commercial extinction, they are being replaced by rapidly expanding smallholder plantings throughout the Fiji archipelago. A value chain study is presented for yasi in Fiji for a 35-year period (1984–2018). The study was undertaken in 2018–2019, in a participatory manner, through interviews and consultations with the key value actors, comprising yasi owners and growers, buyers, local buyers and processors, international buyers and processors, and the Fiji Government’s Ministry of Forestry. The study’s focus was on the main yasi-producing and -processing islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Kadavu and the Lau Group. The yasi value chain has been operating suboptimally, with modest returns to tree owners, growers and the Fiji Government, a failure to develop a local yasi-oil and value-adding industry, and, until recently, a lack of yasi replanting. An ongoing constraint to increased plantings of yasi in Fiji is a lack of practical and efficient regulatory and trading frameworks that can provide security of investment for growers, including legal verification (chain of custody) to meet market requirements and curb illegal harvesting. Key findings of this study are: (1) there is a lack of yasi brand recognition and development in the international marketplace due to its substitution for S. album, adversely affecting all actors along the value chain; and (2) there is an opportunity for branding based on yasi’s natural properties and competitiveness. Recommendations are provided to improve the functioning of the yasi value chain in both the short and long terms for yasi tree owners (i-Taukei and smallholder growers), the Fiji Ministry of Forestry, and sandalwood buyers, processors and exporters. Given its high value and non-perishability, yasi has major and near-unique potential to contribute cash income to Fijian communities in remote island archipelagos. Fiji is well placed to develop a highly competitive and sustainable yasi sandalwood industry that delivers greater returns to tree owners, growers and processors through the development of high-quality plantings, enhanced governance and chain of custody, a yasi branding strategy, the development of local value-adding, and cooperation with major perfume houses and body-care-product companies.

摘要

桑塔鲁姆亚西（yasi）最早是在1800年代初期在斐济被开采的，自那时以来就定期进行收获，但此后一直大量采伐。Yasi生产最有价值的檀香之一，其中α-和β-檀香醇含量很高，通常与东印度檀香（Santalum专辑））檀香油的ISO标准。尽管野生雅西林分目前已接近灭绝，但斐济群岛各地的小农种植面积正在迅速扩大。提出了一项针对斐济雅西人的价值链研究，为期35年（1984-2018年）。这项研究是在2018-2019年期间通过参与性方式与主要价值参与者进行访谈和磋商而进行的，这些参与者包括雅西族的所有者和种植者，购买者，本地购买者和加工者，国际购买者和加工者以及斐济政府林业部。这项研究的重点是维提岛，瓦努阿岛，卡达武和刘氏集团的主要洋气生产和加工岛。雅西价值链的运作欠佳，树木所有者，种植者和斐济政府的回报不高，未能发展当地的雅西石油和增值产业，直到最近还缺乏雅西补种。斐济雅西种植面积不断增加的制约因素是，缺乏切实可行的有效监管和贸易框架，无法为种植者提供投资安全，包括合法验证（产销监管链）以满足市场需求并遏制非法采伐。这项研究的主要发现是：（1）由于国际市场上的Yas品牌替代品，因此缺乏Yas品牌的认可和发展。包括符合市场要求并遏制非法采伐的合法验证（监管链）。这项研究的主要发现是：（1）由于国际市场上的Yas品牌替代品，因此缺乏Yas品牌的认可和发展。包括符合市场要求并遏制非法采伐的合法验证（监管链）。这项研究的主要发现是：（1）由于国际市场上的Yas品牌替代品，因此缺乏Yas品牌的认可和发展。S.相册，对价值链上的所有参与者产生不利影响；（2）基于雅西的自然属性和竞争力进行品牌推广的机会。提供了一些建议，以改善雅西树所有者的短期和长期内的雅西价值链功能（i-Taukei和小农户），斐济林业部以及檀香木买家，加工商和出口商。鉴于其高价值和不易腐烂，雅西具有向偏远岛屿群岛的斐济社区贡献现金收入的主要和近乎独特的潜力。斐济处于发展高度竞争和可持续的雅西檀香产业的有利位置，该行业通过发展优质种植，加强治理和产销监管链，雅西品牌战略，本地发展，为树木所有者，种植者和加工者带来更大的回报。增值，并与大型香水公司和身体护理产品公司合作。