FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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There is little documented evidence of adverse health effects associated with traditional moderate levels of consumption of kava beverage, with only anecdotal reports of general symptoms of lethargy and headaches (FAO and WHO – Kava Technical Report 2016).

The kavalactones in kava cause a relaxing, sedative effect on both the body and mind, accompanied by a slight numbing of the mouth and tongue while consuming kava (if consumed as a drink).

There are two types of kava – Noble and Tudei and both contain different characteristics and are found on different islands of the South Pacific. In Fiji, only Noble varieties are grown, and these are distinguishable from Tudei – which is known for their long-lasting ‘hangover’ type effects. Noble varieties are considered safe, compared to Tudei, because Tudei varieties have high levels of Flavokawain B (FKB), a known precursor of liver toxicity.

We only use Noble kava varieties, which have not been found to cause any issues with liver toxicity. The reports linking kava with liver toxicity originate from research conducted on Tudei kava varieties.

There are 126 varieties of Tudei kava. German scientist and globally renowned kava researcher, Dr Mathias Schmidt, has noted that FKB is in higher concentrations in a lot of the Tudei cultivars grown in Vanuatu. FKB is a hepatotoxin (damaging to liver cells). Dr Schmidt no longer advocates Europeans buy kava from Vanuatu.

We grow our crops for two years before harvesting when crops are at peak kavalactone yield. An additional three years of growing is not required and does not impact our extraction or manufacturing output in quality or quantum.

Field experiments conducted to identify factors determining kavalactone content and chemotype in Piper Methysticum has shown that after two years of vegetative growth, the chemotype appears stable, and kavalactone content does not increase but rather fluctuates (Siméoni, Patricia & Lebot, Vincent; 2002).

There was a 17-year ban imposed in Germany for kava products. The ban was lifted in 2015 when two German administrative courts decided that the decision of the regulatory authority to ban kava was inappropriate and even associated with an increased risk due to the higher risk inherent to the therapeutic alternatives (Kuchta, Schmidt, and Nahrsedt; 2015).

The Codex Alimentarius Commission, established with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and World Health Organisation (WHO), developing a Kava regional standard to regulate the Pacific Kava market and bring higher quality, safe, and disease free kava back to the international market.

The Fiji Kava Bill (2016), once enacted, will establish the FijiKava council to regulate the cultivation, processing, transportation, and marketing of kava. The Bill also seeks to ban the export of non-Noble varieties of kava.
The Vanuatu Kava Act (2002) bans the export of Tudei and other non-Noble varieties of kava and associated products from Vanuatu (Tudei kava makes up about 60 of Vanuatu kava production).
Codex Alimentarius Commission, established by the FAO and WHO, has set a kava standard to standardize operating procedures for the growth, harvest, and processing of kava. The standard is also expected to ban the export of non-Noble kava varieties.

FijiKava has been working with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) since 2014 on an ‘elite kava project’ that has been co-funded by the Australian Government. The project is developing a rapid propagation system for clean planting material.
Kava dieback is a problem in many countries in the Pacific and has been known to wipe out production. A causal relationship between kava dieback and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) infection has been demonstrated, and testing for CMV provides a means by which ‘clean’ plants can be selected. Virus testing and tissue culture provide an opportunity to develop an effective propagation system for generating ‘clean’ planting material of kava.
This work complements an investment by the Australian Government-funded Pacific Horticulture and Agriculture Market Access (PHAMA) program in defining kava varieties and establishing quality standards.

FijiKava owns a 120-acre tissue culture farm in Levuka on the island of Ovalau in Fiji to supply the highest quality kava via tissue culture/mass propagation.

We also source kava from a network of c.200 registered and carefully vetted Fijian farmers. All of the cultivars (varieties) of kava grown in Fiji are of the Noble variety.

FijiKava has identified a number of additional locations suitable to grow its own kava via tissue cultures, including North Queensland and Papua New Guinea. This is to allow geographic spread with FijiKava farms to reduce risk from adverse weather events.

The Company does not use any kava other than Fijian grown Noble kava in its products.

To meet the projected demand for our products, specific varieties of kava are used. To ensure that farmers are planting enough of these varieties, FijiKava established a supply system to create consistent volume and standardized quality. This includes a mixed system of a company-run nucleus farm, an out growers scheme, and nurseries to reproduce and supply farmers with the selected varieties for planting. The out growers scheme will assist farmers with planting the right kava cultivars while helping them improve their farming practices which in turn will increase yields, turnover and income.

The company also has full traceability and transparency with its supply chain and are able to trace kava products produced to registered kava farms around Fiji.

We process freshly harvested kava (green kava) at the Company’s Levuka factory using a water-based extraction method. This method was developed with research partner the University of the South Pacific and delivers a pure, high-quality water extract without the addition of chemicals or other contaminants.