FOR Shahil Ram, the recipient of the 2024 FETA Rising Star Award, a recent cross-exposure placement at Sheraton Sydney was more than just a professional milestone.
It served as a definitive glimpse into the global future of sustainable hospitality.
Mr Ram is the Farm Executive at the five-acre Sheraton Fiji Farm, the sustainability project of Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort and Sheraton Denarau Villas.
Awarded in February 2025, the Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards (FETA) Rising Star prize included a return flight courtesy of Fiji Airways, allowing Mr Ram to exchange the soil of the Sheraton Fiji Farm for the urban innovation of Sydney.
The experience provided a vital benchmark for the work being done in Denarau.
Mr Ram said winning the FETA Rising Star Award was incredibly humbling and for him it was not just recognition, but it was affirmation that the work they are doing at Sheraton Fiji Farm matters.
At the resort, the farm currently supplies seven restaurants and bars, reducing food miles by an estimated two tonnes annually and significantly cutting packaging waste.
Mr Ram noted that the placement broadened his perspective on what’s possible and seeing sustainability executed on a global stage made him realise that their farm in Fiji is part of something much bigger.
During his time at Sheraton Sydney, Mr Ram observed high-tech solutions to urban constraints, including hydroponic Greenspace initiatives that conserve up to 40 per cent more water than traditional farming.
However, it was the integration of nature into the city that left the strongest impression. Inspired by Sydney’s rooftop beehives.
Mr Ram has already transitioned these insights into local action.
He confirmed they have introduced three beehives at Sheraton Fiji Farm and during their very first honey harvest they produced 40 kilograms of honey which is now being used in restaurants and bars from breakfast offerings to handcrafted cocktails.
Mr Ram credits FETA and Fiji Airways for accelerating a career trajectory that might otherwise have taken years to achieve. He believes such platforms are essential for highlighting the behind-the-scenes roles in tourism such as sustainability and farming.
He said that FETA creates exposure, mentorship opportunities, and credibility while bridging the gap by saying to young professionals that their work and growth matters.
As the 2025 awards approach, Mr Ram’s advice to young professionals is to put themselves forward because growth happens outside their comfort zone.
