Vanuatus Kava on international market is expected to benefit from the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications.

The convention is expected to help safeguard Vanuatu’s kava identity and prevent misuse of the country’s product name overseas.

The Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications was ratified when the bill for Ratification of Certain Conventions Act No. Of 2026 was passed by Parliament this week. 

Minister of Climate Change, Ralph Regenvanu spoke in support of the convention during Parliament discussions, saying Vanuatu must ratify the agreement to better protect its main export product.

He said while Vanuatu continues to invest heavily in the kava industry, other countries are also entering the market and creating risks for Vanuatu producers.

“We know Solomon Islands is selling Vanuatu kava planted there, and even Papua New Guinea is now exporting large quantities of kava. Vanuatu is probably the only country in the world with a Kava Act that protects kava and outlines the varieties and standards for sale. Other countries do not have that,” Mr Regenvanu said.

He explained that once kava reaches international markets, it is often simply labelled as kava, without recognition of its Vanuatu origin.

Mr Regenvanu said the convention would allow Vanuatu to establish a recognised geographical indication to protect its kava internationally.

“The problem is that when kava reaches the market it just becomes kava, not specifically Vanuatu kava, and we cannot protect it because there is no geographical indication. Once we achieve this, no country will be able to take our kava and sell it under another name, and we will preserve the market for Vanuatu kava because everyone will know this is where kava comes from,” he said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mark Ati presented the bill in Parliament under the Bills for the Ratification of Certain Conventions Act 2026.

He explained that the agreement is an international system designed to protect products linked to specific locations and traditional production methods.

“The agreement is an international system that helps protect the names of products that come from specific places. These products are often unique because of their location, climate and traditional ways of production,” Mr Ati said.

Minister of Trade, Samson Samsen also supported the convention, saying the agreement would not only benefit kava but also other unique products from Vanuatu.

Vanuatu has already signed the convention, and Parliament officially passed the ratification yesterday.