Table 5 CPA strategies and practices identified related to the Free Milk Program for Year One students in Fiji

Constituency building strategy:

Seek involvement in the community

Fiji Sun

“Year One students will also be given a serve of Weet-Bix, the Prime Minister announced yesterday while launching the Free Milk Program at the Nakelo District School. […] The program, valued at $420,000, will be providing free Weet-Bix to Year One students along with the free 250 ml of milk per day to schools nationwide. The program is also supported by Sanitarium Australia. CJ Patel Group and Fiji Dairy Marketing Director Nathan Hildebrand said seeing Government’s commitment to Fiji’s future inspired them to do more.”[27]

Constituency building strategy:

Establish relationships with the media

Interview participant

“We never said we wanted free milk. (…) It’s an initiative coming right from the top [the Prime Minister]. And they link it up with CJ Patel, which is very closely linked with the media, with the food importers.”

Constituency building strategy:

Establish relationships with policymakers

Fiji Sun and media release from the Fijian government

“[The Prime Minister] thanked the CJ Patel Group of Companies and Fiji Dairy Limited who generously provided the Year One students with their own Weet-Bix bowl and spoon.

“I wish to thank the CJ Patel Group of Companies and Fiji Dairy Limited who have partnered with my Government for all the hard work it has put in to deliver this massive logistic undertaking and have gone the extra mile to ensure that all Class One students receive a healthy meal every morning,” the Prime Minister said.”[27]

Interview participant

“Take the example of the “Free Milk Initiative” recently, how come we got to put Weetabix onto it? Fiji will never be able to locally grow wheat; therefore Weet-Bix will always be imported. When you are going to put Weet-Bix and milk today, then it will have to continue for years to come. For one year, CJ Patel might say “Ok, I’ll provide you the Weetabix”, when you expand the program, then they will say “I’m running low on money, I need money now”. We will perpetually need their Weet-Bix. Why couldn’t we have put two bananas there, or local foods? (…) For example, bananas are grown all over the country side, so they can buy it locally. The money which they pay for the cereals could have gone to the farmer, so the farmer has a few dollars in his pocket, and he is going to the shop, … so there will be exchanges going on locally, rather than all going out for an exchange… So those sorts of things are happening, yes. (…) It came as part of the election, at the top.”