The Fertile Factory & Co
At The Fertile Factory & Co, we are committed to protecting Fiji’s fragile land and marine ecosystems.
Our Vision
The Fertile Factory & Co’s vision is to eliminate the import and use of all synthetic fertilisers in Fiji, and to lead the shift towards regenerative agriculture in the Pacific. It will be the finest producer of natural and organic certified fertilisers in the Pacific, with an emphasis on farmer training.
Solving a waste problem....
Our goal is to recycle ~53,000 t/year of green waste and manure (22% of total waste produced in Fiji). Through a combination of diverting waste from landfill, creating natural fertilizer products, and providing farmers with regenerative land management skills, we aim to achieve ~6,600
metric tonnes of avoided carbon emissions and….
... to solve a critical environmental problem.
….reduce Nitrogen & Phosphorous runoff from ~26,700 ha of farmland through a combination of training an, addressing a critical local threat to inshore reefs,
through product sales and farmer training initiatives.
Sanjeev Chand
CEO
Sanjeev is TFFC’s CEO. He identified the opportunity for this company in his role as Sales and Engineering Director of Waste Clear (Fiji) Ltd, Fiji’s leading private waste transport company. When approached by Jodi Smith, who was looking to support the development of environmentally impactful Fijian businesses he immediately said “We need to be making natural fertilizer from all the so-called waste which we transport to landfill.” Thus, TFFC was born, and the rest, as they say is history.
Reshmi Devi
CFO
Reshmi is Director of TFFC and serves as the company’s CFO. She completed her degree in accounting from University of the South Pacific in 2010, is a member of the Fiji Institute of Accountants and is currently studying to become a CPA with CPA Australia.
Jodi Smith
Board Member and Advisor
Jodi is a Board Member and advisor to TFFC. Jodi is the Founding General Partner of Matanataki, a women-led business development and investment management company based in Fiji. Jodi’s has long experience in regenerative agriculture, previously running Fiji’s only Global GAP and USDA NOP and Japan Agriculture Standard certified farms, a ginger and turmeric exporting company called Ranadi Organics. Jodi is currently raising with her team at Matanataki the Pacific’s first blended finance impact investment fund, providing investors with access to community serving, women-centric impact enterprises prioritizing coral reefs to deliver climate resilience.
Michael Smith
Senior Advisor
Michael is a dedicated farmer with 35 years of experience in the organic and sustainable farming sector. He is passionate about regenerative systems, soil health, and education. Michael’s mission is to positively influence the development of environmentally sustainable farming practices across Australia and the South Pacific. His strong work ethic and extensive life skills enable him to support communities in creating closed-loop systems, fostering self-sufficiency, and empowering transformative change. Committed to a challenging and rewarding career, Michael aims to ensure a regenerative approach to sustainable farming for future generations.
Kisun Deo is Sanjeev Chand’s grandfather and the inspiration behind The Fertile Factory & Co. Born in Labasa, Fiji, Mr Deo become a sugar cane farmer at the tender age of 14, and married Sanjeev’s grandmother Ram Pyari when he was 19. At the age of 36, Mr Deo won 60 acres of land after buying a $2 lottery ticket and started intensively farming sugar cane. Tragically his wife Ram Pyari passed away four years later, and Mr Deo’s parenting skills came into their own as he became both father and mother to his four young children. Despite this tragedy Mr Deo showed unflinching determination and was awarded the Best Cane Farmer award four years after the death of his beloved wife in 1983, producing 808 tonnes of cane despite the very dry conditions that year. Mr Deo then met Ram Kumari, and adopted her three children, purchased another 60 acres of land, and produced 2,000 tonnes of cane. Mr Deo’s strength and determination was widely known – he was able to plant 28 acres of cane in a mere two weeks, and also added diversity to his farming by planting 7 acres of watermelon and cucumber. In 1990 Mr Deo and Ram Kumari moved to the United States, with two sons joining them, and later three grandchildren, including Sanjeev and his brother Vishal, who is one of the co-owners of TFFC. After running a petrol station for three years in California, Mr Deo established his own trucking business, and received his green card in 2000. Mr Deo lived in the US for 24 years before returning to Fiji where he now lives with his son Subash, the founder of Waste Clear (Fiji) Ltd and his wife Kiran Lata, his grandsons Sanjeev and Vishal, their wives Reshmi Devi and Swastika Ram, and two great grandchildren. Mr Deo considers himself a truly blessed man, and in turn his family are deeply grateful for his hard work, love and commitment.