Portrait featuring Dr The Honourable Arvin Boolell, Minister of the Republic of Mauritius

“Life is politics”

These words made me pause for thought when I told this week’s guest that I do not discuss politics on the podcast.

In popular culture, "politics" has been reduced to bipartisan debates (and dare I add, drama), when in reality, politics is woven into every aspect of our lives—our rights and responsibilities, our food security, our economy, our future.

For Dr. The Honourable Arvin Boolell, politics was never just a career choice—it was a calling, shaped by a lifetime of public service. Growing up in a family of politicians, he saw leadership and governance up close through his father, Sir Satcam Boolell. 

But despite this legacy, he magnanimously calls himself “the black sheep of the family”, someone who had to overcome setbacks early in life and strive to become much more than simply being “his father’s son.” In doing so, he came to believe that politics should always be about service, not power.

On the occasion of Mauritius' 57th Independence Day, I had the privilege of sitting down with him to get a glimpse of the man behind the politician.

As the Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, our guest also discusses:

🌱 Why we should eat what we grow and grow what we eat.
 🌍 What it will take to build a self-sufficient, resilient small island economy.
 🌊 The untapped potential of the Blue Economy.
 ⚓ How Mauritius can transform its port into a thriving regional hub.

… And of course, what “independence” means to him, 57 years on.

Thank you, Dr Boolell for sharing your story with such candour and humility. 

Special thank you to awesome Natacha Soulange who edited this teaser in two days! 


00:00 - Intro
01:37 - Life is politics: early childhood influences
04:21 - Influential figures of early Mauritian politics
07:21 - The value of neighbourhood
08:31 - The black sheep of the family
12:18 - Learning the hard way
14:58 - Humility
16:27 - Regrets
19:35 - Bringing changes with substance
21:46 - The agro-industry and blue economy portfolio
23:40 - Agriculture is life
26:02 - Making agriculture attractive for young people
30:55 - Not just food, nutritious food
32:31 - The power of institutions
34:38 - Challenges to harmonious development
37:09 - The untapped potential of the blue economy
39:18 - Untapped potential of our ports
42:40 - The buy in of the private sector
45:28 - Reconcile social and economic factors
47:56 - What does the independence mean?