An innovative all-natural skincare product range produced from the superfood of the sea, from the lagoons of the Pacific is now available at Farmers stores throughout New Zealand.

Nama Fiji is the premium skincare brand of Essence Group Fiji. Nama (Caulerpa racemosa) is a unique aquaculture commodity (a species of sea grape) that grows wild in the pristine blue lagoon waters of the remote Yasawa Islands region of Fiji, according to a media release issued on Tuesday by Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand. 

In a paper in the journal Women in Fisheries, Cherie Morris and Shirleen Bala write, “The health benefits of Caulerpa include the low calorie content; iodine, which keeps the thyroid gland healthy and thus reduces the chances of goitre and high fatty acids, chlorophylls a and b; and β-Carotene.”

Nama Fiji was founded by Debra Sadranu, who first moved to Fiji in the 1990s and established a Spa School and Senikai Spas, a chain of spas in luxury hotels and resorts.

Through a partnership with James Cook University in Australia, she also verified that nama, a long-time local Fijian delicacy, also has beneficial properties for the skin due to its high concentration of minerals and vitamins when compared to other types of seaweed. Nama has earned the name  ‘longevity seaweed’ because of this.

The Nama Fiji skincare product range caters to women aged 30 years and over. Nama is harvested in the tropical lagoons of the Fiji archipelago, by women. 

Essence Fiji has a focus on sustainable harvesting efforts that positively impact the livelihood of Fijian women and their families. Indeed for most of the Fijian nama harvesters, this is their sole source of income; and so plays a vital role in the social cohesion of their communities.

Nama regenerates rapidly (within three weeks) and harvesting it does not negatively impact the ecosystem.

Essence Group Managing Director Debra Sadranu says the partnership with Farmers is a positive opportunity. 

“We are excited to showcase our Fiji Made premium skincare brand to the New Zealand market and our agent Nama Spa New Zealand is busy with merchandising preparation to stock Farmers department stores ready for customers to purchase directly from them."

Farmers New Zealand representative Kylie Pistorius expressed support for the partnership, which is an exciting opportunity reinforcing positive collaboration between the renowned New Zealand retail chain and Essence Group Fiji. 

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Nama Fiji Skincare range to 23 key Farmers stores nationwide. The Natural Skincare category continues to go from strength to strength and the unique ingredients and sustainable harvesting programme in Nama Fiji that supports the local Fijian Island community generates a really powerful story. 

"We are delighted to be bringing the Nama Fiji range to our NZ customers."

Essence Fiji is supported in its export efforts by Pacific Trade Invest NZ, which is an agency of Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).

Glynis Miller, PTI Trade Commissioner in New Zealand said: "Farmers is a highly competitive retail chain. They have been around for over four decades and have a strong brand across Aotearoa. 

"For a luxury range to land a presence in not only one but many stores across the country is commendable."

Nama (Caulerpa racemosa) is also harvested and eaten by villagers in Samoa with a 2014 report (Supply chain and marketing of sea grapes, Caulerpa racemosa [Forsskål] J. Agardh [Chlorophyta: Caulerpaceae] in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga) published in the Journal of Applied Psychology – for the first time looked at the supply chain of Caulerpa racemosa in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga – and concluded that the sea grapes are harvested and marketed and are "important subsistence activities" especially for communities in Fiji and Samoa.

"At least 150 harvesters are involved in Fiji, some 100 in Samoa and only a handful in Tonga. The annual combined crop is of some 123 t valued at around US$266,492," reads the 2014 report.

"In Fiji, it is projected that supply does not meet local demand and there is a potential export market that is currently operating at a pilot project level. In Samoa, the supply is considered adequate for the current market.

"In Tonga, harvesting is carried out by a few families and supplies a niche market in that country. The possibilities of field cultivation of Caulerpa have been explored but, at present, with only limited success in Samoa."

According to the 2014 report, the supply chain is simple in all three countries, and only in Fiji are middlemen involved in the distribution process.

"The limitations for marketing include the fact that only a few sites supply most of the crop in all the three countries, that all sites need to be conserved through sustainable harvesting methods, the short shelf life of the crop and a lack of information on the carrying capacity of harvest sites.

"Caulerpa remains a crop that fulfils a niche market but has the potential to be scaled up for additional livelihood development in the future."

The Samoa Observer has been unable to ascertain if Samoa's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) got the economic potential of Caulerpa racemosa on its radar.