Fiji’s kava industry has received a significant reputational boost after the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) released a new monograph and therapeutic compendium for kava rhizome and root, describing it as “one of the safest and most effective botanical anti-anxiety herbs we have”. The development, reported on 3 November 2025, is seen as an important step in dispelling two-decade-old concerns about liver toxicity that contributed to widespread bans across Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand in the early 2000s.
According to the AHP assessment, years of clinical and pre-clinical studies, meta-analyses and systematic reviews indicate that hepatotoxicity associated with kava is rare and idiosyncratic rather than dose- or solvent-dependent. Earlier fears were linked to factors such as use of non-noble kava varieties, incorrect plant parts, extraction using organic solvents instead of traditional water preparations, and possible microbial contamination.
For Fiji and other Pacific exporters, the monograph is more than a scientific document; it is a potential market signal. US recognition of kava’s safety profile in its traditional form could encourage regulators, retailers and consumers in other jurisdictions to revisit remaining restrictions and stigma, reopening paths for higher-value health and wellness products beyond the niche bar trade.
The timing aligns with regional efforts to standardise quality, traceability and branding under initiatives such as the Pacific Kava Development Strategy. For Fijian growers, processors and exporters, the priority now will be leveraging the AHP findings to strengthen marketing narratives, while continuing to invest in consistent noble varieties, robust quality assurance and clear labelling to differentiate Pacific kava from less regulated products.
If managed well, the US monograph could help shift kava from a product fighting legacy health scares to a recognised botanical supplement with a strong cultural story, widening the field for agribusiness investment, value-added manufacturing and regional branding.
