April 2010 - LRD News

vol 6 no 1

April 2010

In this issue ....

Conserving livestock breeds........................ 1 Field genebanks to conserve island staple food crops....................................................... 2 Niu Kafa, the biggest coconut in the world..................................................... 3 Fiji finalising national REDD-plus policy............................................ 5 Pacific youth need family support to stay in agriculture..................................... 6 CePaCT has moved........................................ 8 FSM Go Local campaign.............................. 9 Kaiming agro-processing opens.................. 10 Samoa Farmers’ Association grows Progress for Pacific........................................ 14 organic agriculture........................................ 16 Mobile technologies to improve market information........................................ 18 Pathogen testing technology........................ 19 Vanuatu forestry development.................... 20 Biological farming in soil school training................................................ 21 Supporting export market value chains..................................................... 21 Micronesia quarantine training................... 22 LRD farewells ‘Aleki Sisif.............................. 23

Land Resources News is the quarterly newsletter produced by SPC Land Resources Division.

We welcome feedback, comments or contributions. Please contact LRD publications officer: EmilA@spc.int, or the LRD helpdesk, lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

SPC Land Resources Division Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji Islands Telephone: (679) 337 0733 Fax: (679) 337 0021 Visit our website: www.spc.int/lrd We ackowledge our international partners:

Conserving and developing local livestock breeds

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recent livestock survey in Fiji, Niue, Tonga and Samoa has revealed that there is ample genetic diversity found in local pigs and chickens. This rich diversity in animal genetic resources is a significant contribution from the Pacific towards this International Year of Biodiversity.

Data collected from the survey will allow researchers to identify some locally adapted breeds that show specific resistance or tolerance to disease, limited feed and water, as well climate change.

The survey involved the collection of 40 indigenous pigs and 40 chickens from the survey countries.

DNA analysis was conducted at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) laboratories in Beijing, China.

The surveys were conducted as part of the Southwest Pacific Regional Animal Genetic Resources (SWP AnGR) project funded by the Australian government through the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The goal of the pilot project is to improve the genetic base and distribution of selected livestock materials.

Animal Health and Production (AHP) thematic team of SPC’s Land Resources Division is implementing the project, which has been extended to June 2010 with the aim to cover Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Researchers hope to survey all livestock species in the near future to gather data on the extent of livestock diversity in the region and to conserve and use locally adapted breeds.

SPC is helping Pacific Island countries and territories meet challenges in food security, including livestock production, and having this information and knowledge on the diversity of local livestock is crucial to decision-making.

The aim is to develop, conserve and use local breeds of livestock to enhance food security and livelihoods of Pacific communities.

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Tom Misikea, head of Niue livestock authority, holds up a fine specimen of a local chicken breed.

Training of regional livestock staff Training of livestock staff and stakeholders is a major part of the SWP AnGR project. AHP has trained 47 local staff members in the project countries on the techniques of animal handling and restraint, interviewing techniques, blood sampling techniques, sample preservation and storage. Technical training will also be carried out in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands with the project extension.

AnGR awareness In the Pacific Islands there is a lack of awareness of the development and conservation of animal genetic resources for food security and rural livelihoods. To address this knowledge gap SPC is conducting awareness campaigns to increase understanding of animal genetic resources on the part of decision-makers and the public through presentations and discussions,

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CONSERVING LOCAL LIVESTOCK BREEDS...from pg 1

distribution of posters and T-shirts and news stories in the media.

Information dissemination and sharing Technical discussions and information sharing on AnGR will be enhanced through the establishment of the swpangr@lyris.spc.int email listing and the AnGR website which will be launched soon. These activities are supported under the SWP AnGR project to promote the significance of animal genetic resources in the region.

Information sharing is encouraged to promote agro-biodiversity for conservation and utilisation.

Technical advice on requests for improved genetic breeding material In the past, SPC has facilitated many requests from the Pacific for breeding material to increase livestock production to meet food security issues. The requests were for breeding material for pigs, sheep, goats and cattle.

AHP directed these requests to local livestock authorities or other sources of breeding material for improved stock.

The Fiji Ministry of Primary Industry has provided the breeding material for many requests, especially those for pigs and sheep due to the availability of local quality genetic material for those animals.

AHP continues to offer technical advisory assistance to the region, including import and export risk analysis and screening protocols.

Tuvalu and Kiribati were assisted with importing improved breeding stock for pigs, Samoa and Tonga were assisted with breeding stock for the Fiji Fantastic breed of sheep, and Solomon Islands received assistance with import risk analysis protocols for the importation of cattle from Australia. Pacific Island countries and territories want to import improved breeds of livestock and AHP provides technical advice on import risk assessment as well the selection process for improved animal breeds.

Field genebanks help conserve island food crops

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aveuni, dubbed the garden island of Fiji because of its diverse flora and fauna, is Fiji’s main producer of export taro. The island receives revenues of over USD 10 million each year from its taro exports. The main export variety grown on Taveuni is tausala-ni-Samoa, a pink medium-size taro that is closely related to taro Niue, the main export variety from Samoa before the taro leaf blight disaster in the mid-1990s. Exports from Fiji filled much of the overseas demand when taro exports from Samoa ceased, and Taveuni became the main supplier of the premier taro variety accounting for 80 per cent of export taro.

However, Taveuni farmers, cashing in on this demand for export taro, began mono-cropping the tausala variety. This resulted in the erosion of taro genetic diversity on the island, with some popular local varieties facing extinction. Taveuni has the advantage of being declared a pest-free area for trade purposes; the taro beetle is not found there. Because of the island’s pest-free status, introduction of planting material there brings the risk of the soil-borne pest invading the island.

To re-introduce local taro varieties to Taveuni, SPC is helping transfer ex situ collection of 43 local varieties to Taveuni Research Centre. The project began in 2006 in collaboration with the research and extension staff of the Department of Agriculture. In addition, 11 other local

varieties were collected from within Taveuni (Vuna and Vurevure) and added to the research centre’s taro collection in an attempt to increase diversity and to make local varieties available to farmers.

A few highly progressive farmers were identified and given 20 taro varieties each to plant and to assess for production characteristics. This allowed the taro varieties to be planted and further multiplied outside of the research station, making them available to the wider farming community.

As well as taro, the Taveuni Research Centre also has 23 varieties of cassava in the genebank field collection.

These were transferred from Koronivia Research Station for further multiplication. Two additional varieties were collected from Taveuni and added to the field genebank for characterisation.

In addition, seven varieties of Pacific plantain were collected from Taveuni for multiplication at the research centre.

Intensive taro farming on Taveuni has placed a high demand on land and soil nutrients. Some farmers are neglecting good farming practices.

To increase yields, farmers are cutting down new forested areas in search of more fertile land and leaving behind nutrient-depleted soils.

A project to help restore soil nutrients on farmed land using (.....cont’d on pg 13)

For more information, please contact Dr Ken Cokanasiga, Team Leader, Animal Health and Production (KenC@spc.int).

The taro genebank on Taveuni Research Station survived the aftermath of Cuclone Tomas. volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

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Niu Kafa, the biggest coconut in the world

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o you know what the biggest coconut in the world is? It is the niu kafa, found only in the Pacific Islands (in Melanesia and Polynesia).

The biggest coconut on record is from Samoa, at 50 cm. The niu kafa and other traditional coconuts are threatened with extinction, and a conservation effort is now underway to preserve these culturally significant coconut varieties and their diverse fruits including the unique niu kafa. The conservation drive for the niu kafa is also part of the celebration that recognises 2010 as the UN-declared international year of biodiversity. (http://www.cbd.int/2010/ welcome/).

Traditional coconut varieties are being threatened with extinction owing to past efforts by national governments to promote the planting of high-yielding hybrid coconuts which yield larger volumes of dried copra.

The niu kafa coconut has a thick husk with long fibers. Niu kafa is called niu ni magimagi in Fiji and niu kafa in Tonga and niu afa Samoa. Generally, coconut palms fall into two varieties: ‘green tall’ and ‘red dwarf’. Niu kafa belongs to the green tall variety, which is characterised by a large, long but relatively narrow fruit. This variety is prized for making sinnet (afa), which is still in use today as a strong twine

and rope for constructing traditional fales and canoes.

Niu kafa is also becoming increasingly used in traditional island handicrafts.

A preliminary survey of niu afa coconut palms in Samoa was conducted in March of this year by Dr Roland Bourdeix, senior researcher with the French scientific organisation CIRAD, with assistance from Ms Valerie S. Tuia, SPC curator based at the Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT). Dr Bourdeix is passionate about coconuts and is on a mission to conserve traditional Manono village youth holding a niu afa after climbing a coconut germplasm in coconut tree to retrieve the fruit. the Pacific. He recently presented the findings of the Samoa niu afa coconut survey in a seminar held at the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva. The seminar was jointly hosted

by SPC’s Land Resources Division and USP’s School of Natural Resources.

The survey itself was co-funded by Global Diversity Trust and SPC’s Land Resources Division. Research officers from Samoa’s Nuu Crop Development Centre assisted the survey team.

According to Dr Bourdeix Samoa has the purest form of niu kafa, and all of the coconuts are a homogenous green colour. The niu kafa survey found that this coconut palm faces extinction with less than 30 palms identified as pure niu afa from farmers’ fields. Most niu kafa plants were found growing as isolated individuals near homes and along the roadside, but never in coconut plantations.

Samoa’s Ministry of Agriculture has a coconut seed garden at Olomanu, a few kilometers inland from the international airport at Faleolo. The Olomanu coconut seed garden operated in the mid-1970s as the national research station for hybrid coconuts as well as a genebank for conservation of traditional varieties.

Niu afa is one of these coconut varieties with some 180 palms conserved in the genebank. The survey team collected 11-12 month old niu afa coconut seedlings of varied sizes. These were taken to the Nuu Crop Development Centre where sample coconuts were split in half for characterization and screening for true type niu afa variety.

Some of the coconuts were selected for embryo culture using tissue culture methods. and embryos were extracted to determine whether there

Niu afa coconut seedlings harvested from Olomanu seed garden and farmers’ field were sent to Nuu Research Centre for charactirisation studies. volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

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SPC curator, Ms Valerie S. Tuia (bottom left, holding niu kafa) and Dr Roland Bourdeix (standing, far right) harvesting niu afa at Olomanu coconut seed garden. Conservation efforts are encouraging the growing of traditional coconut varieties on small island resorts.

is any variation in the niu afa variety.

DNA analysis will be conducted on leaf samples and seedlings. On this trip, over 300 embryos of niu afa germplasm were collected and are now conserved in tissue culture at CePaCT. CePaCT conserves unique collections of important staple crops of the Pacific including a climate-ready collection.

The survey team visited Manono, one of two islets between the two main islands of Upolu and Savaii.

Sprouted seedlings of niu afa were distributed to families when the survey team visited Manono. West of Manono are two smaller islets: Nuulopa and a much smaller un-named islet, which has just one coconut tree growing on it.

Bad weather (Cyclone Tomas was in the vicinity) prevented the team from visiting neighbouring Apolima Island and collecting coconut germplasm there, and distributing niu afa seedlings. However, plans are in place to carry out the survey on Apolima by the able team of researchers from Nu’u once the weather has cleared up.

Dr Bourdeix has developed a proposal for Samoan authorities

regarding coconut conservation and management on these small islets. He is pushing for the conservation of niu afa plus a few other coconut varieties on the resort islands because of their relative isolation, maintaining purity of the varieties, and creating new hybrids as well as maintaining the image of coconut trees to attract tourists.

On the small islands of the Pacific, it is proposed for the planting of only three coconut varieties: a ‘green tall’ such as niu afa, ‘Malayan red dwarf’, and ‘Tahiti red dwarf’. Subsequently, six new varieties will be produced from this mix without any costly controlled pollination programme. And, farmers will have a diversity of coconut varieties to choose from. It is important to spend time with the people living on the islands to identify existing varieties and to progressively remove existing coconuts once the new palms begin to bear. This is a collective decision that village authorities need to agree on. The long-term benefits are continued biodiversity.

Conservation of biodiversity on small isolated islands is part of the

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Polymotu project (http://polymotu.blogspot.com) that Dr Bourdeix is helping to spearhead. The project is based on Aratika Atoll in French Polynesia, which has served as a traditional genebank for centuries. The project is advocating for islets to be devoted to the conservation of traditional coconut varieties, and to the conservation of biodiversity in a broader sense. The project is based on empirical evidence that Polynesians used numerous small isolated islands to conserve and cultivate their coconut varieties. The geographical remoteness of the islets has ensured the reproductive isolation of the coconut palms, which is necessary for producing and maintaining a variety. New varieties can be created by planting in limited numbers on a remote island, as the coconut palms will then cross only with other palms that are present. By taking seednuts from those isolated islands, the ancient Polynesians were able to reproduce the coconut varieties they had created.

For more information, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

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Fiji finalising national REDD-plus policy

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iji is on track to be ‘REDD-ready’ by the end of 2012 with the finalisation of its national REDDplus policy currently underway. The development of the REDD-plus policy is in recognition of the need for robust and effective policy and regulatory frameworks to ensure REDD (reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation) initiatives contribute optimally to the social, economic and ecological development of the country.

Stakeholders from various sectors and agencies met on Tuesday 16 February in Suva to further develop Fiji’s draft REDD-plus policy. The draft document developed in September 2009 had been put on hold pending the outcomes of the Copenhagen UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) COP-15 (Conference of the Parties) negotiations held in December 2009.

Though the Copenhagen climate change conference fell short of many expectations, it made progress on the REDD negotiations. The resulting Copenhagen Accord recognises the crucial role of reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation and the need to enhance removal of greenhouse gas by forests. In this respect, the accord calls for financial support from developed countries to developing countries. This is very encouraging to developing countries

like Fiji embarking on REDD programmes. During the February workshop elements relating to COP-15 REDD decisions were strengthened in the draft Fiji REDD-plus policy.

This included safeguards such as the rights and participation of indigenous peoples, gender considerations, equitable distribution of benefits, good governance, and conservation of biodiversity and natural forests.

The overall objective of the REDD-plus policy will be to effectively ‘address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and encourage the drivers of forest-based carbon sinks’. The policy scoping exercise in September last year identified agricultural activities (in natural forests), and settlement and infrastructure development (in mangrove forests) as the main drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Fiji. This highlights the need for supportive institutional and legal frameworks in other sectors in order for a REDD instrument to be successful.

This is a salient feature for small island states like Fiji, where development in one sector closely affects the others, given the geography and agriculturebased economy. This calls for national policies that are complementary and based on a common vision.

Fortunately, Fiji is undergoing extensive reviews of its sector polices and laws, and is pursuing sustainable

The policy scoping exercise in September last year identified agricultural activities (in natural forests), and settlement and infrastructure development (in mangrove forests) as the main drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Fiji. volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

natural resource management and development in most areas. The National Forest Policy, for instance, has the vision of ‘sustainable management of Fiji’s forests to maintain their natural potential and to achieve greater social, economic and environmental benefits for current and future generations’.

The REDD-plus policy will respond to specific (carbon financing mechanisms) and broad components (sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation) of the Forest Policy.

The REDD-plus policy will be aligned to the objectives of the Fiji Sustainable Economic and Empowerment Development Strategy (SEEDS), which will allow it to benefit from an enabling environment and ensure that it contributes to the overall sustainable development and poverty reduction of the country. The policy will also play an important role in supporting Fiji in meeting other international commitments (aside from UNFCCC), such as CBD (Convention on Biodiversity) and UNCCD (Convention on Combating Desertification).

The Fiji REDD-plus policy is currently undergoing final drafting and stakeholder consultations. The policy will be implemented through a REDDplus programme that aims to have Fiji achieve REDD readiness by the end of 2012. The SPC/ German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Pacific-German Regional Programme on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region is supporting the Fiji Forestry Department and the Fiji Department of Environment in this undertaking.

For more information, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

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upport from the family and wider community, including giving young people more control over resource management and the financial benefits of their endeavours, are critical in encouraging young people to develop as agricultural entrepreneurs.

These are key messages from a survey of young people in Fiji, Tonga and Kiribati. Spiritual guidance is also important in youth development, with the church playing an important role in influencing young people’s behaviour and activities, especially in engaging them in agricultural activities.

The survey was conducted in November 2009 as part of the activities of the Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Policy Network (PAFPNet). It was aimed at discovering what features of their environment encourage young

Pacific youth need family and community support to stay in agriculture people to participate in agricultural activities.

It is often said that young people are our future leaders and the most productive age group of our region’s labour force. Yet many struggle to find formal employment after leaving school or college and increasing migration of young people from rural to urban areas in search of work puts pressure on already stretched infrastructure and services.

Can agriculture provide an attractive enough source of employment in rural areas to encourage young people to stay in their communities? Pacific Ministers of Agriculture at their meeting in Apia in 2008 asked SPC and partners to examine this issue in greater detail and to develop a Youth and Agriculture Strategy to build on initiatives

Fijian youth filling out survey forms......young people need to be involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of programmes that affect them. volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

promoting agriculture as a desirable and profitable career for young people.

The survey found young people are an important part of the informal labour force in their families and communities. In Fiji, Kiribati and Tonga, they are involved in agriculture activities that contribute to income generation as well as household food security. Youth are mostly responsible for planting and maintaining food gardens. A small number run and manage their own semi-commercial plantations. In rural Fiji, young people form groups for specific purposes, such as to build a house or fulfill a specific village or communal obligation.

The majority of young farmers are cultivating traditional crops with vegetables as secondary crops. Livestock agriculture is mostly limited to raising animals for home consumption.

Despite this active contribution to their families, communities and churches, many of the young people surveyed express frustration at a lack of recognition for their role. They also want relatives and community elders to support their initiatives by allowing them to share the benefits of their own endeavours and, importantly, to set aside land they can use for their own entrepreneurial activities.

The research attempted to determine what conditions are important for the success and sustainability of youth development programmes. The

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responses indicate that key factors include ensuring young people are actively involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of programmes and that their needs are identified and addressed. Providing a forum within the programme for young people to discuss these needs with their families and community elders is seen as a vital step in developing greater awareness and understanding in families and communities of how they can support young people starting up agricultural ventures.

Although the usual factors of better access to credit, more frequent visits by extension officers and access to affordable agricultural inputs were raised as key constraints facing young people, these are seen as secondary to the issue of a positive supportive environment. This suggests that if agricultural extension services are to better support young people in agricultural activities, they need to broaden their traditional horizons and work with communities and partners to carry out participatory appraisals of youth needs, and to provide training on empowerment, confidence building and financial literacy.

Findings from the research will provide baseline data for the development of the Pacific Youth and Agriculture Strategy 2011–2015.

The Youth in Agriculture strategy is aimed at encouraging and empowering young people who live in rural areas to take advantage of self-employment opportunities that can contribute to higher agriculture productivity, improved livelihoods and reduced pressure on urban centres. It seeks to identify key strategies and actions that agriculture, youth and partnering ministries can implement to support young people in their personal and professional development.

This research is an initiative of the Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Policy Network, which is hosted by SPC’s Land Resources Division, in partnership with the Human Development Programme of SPC. A draft of the Pacific Youth and Agriculture Strategy will be published soon for consultation with stakeholders.

PAFPNet and SPC would welcome your views on how to engage more young people in agricultural activities to feed in to the development of this strategy.

We are particularly interested in hearing from young people or those working with young people. The strategy will be presented to the Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services (HOAFS) and Ministers of Youth later this year.

Please contact SPC by emailing lrdhelpdesk@ spc.int with any comments and/or to receive a copy of the consultation document.

The development of the Pacific Youth and Agriculture Strategy 2011 - 2015 is aimed, among other objectives, to encourage young people who live in rural areas to take advantage of self-employment opportunities. volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

LRD wins gender award The SPC Land Resources Division has made significant efforts through its DSAP programme – Developing Sustainable Agriculture in the Pacific – to promote the involvement of women and youth in its activities.. In recognition of those efforts the programme was the recipient of the first ever SPC Gender Award, in 2007 offered by the Human Development Programme, recognising the critical importance of gender issues in development. In Tonga, youth are empowered to live and value healthy lifestyles in the project Ma’a Lahi Youth Project, where DSAP and SPC Healthy Lifestyles Team are collaborating to promote the growing of vegetables in order to significantly increase the availability, accessibility, and affordability of vegetables and fruits for young people and their families.

Youth are mostly responsible for planting and maintaining food gardens.

PaFPNet facilitates information dissemination The Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Policy Network (PAFPNet - http://www.spc.int/PAFPNet) was established in 2006 and aims to facilitate communication, information dissemination, capacity building and enhance awareness on issues related to agriculture and forestry policy.

The network comprises policy officials from government, representatives from regional and international organisations, NGOs, the private sector, civil society and local community groups and encourages discussion and debate as a vital tool in shaping more effective policies that have at their heart improving the well-being of all the people of the Pacific. If you would like to join the network and receive regular updates please subscribe by emailing the lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

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CePaCT has moved

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he Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT) has relocated to a new facility in Narere – SPC member countries now have a modern genebank built to international standard.

CePaCT has been in operation since 1998 when it first started activities as the Regional Germplasm Centre, and as such has significant technical expertise in plant genetic resources. CePaCT staff have been busy since the beginning of the year organising the move to the new building. The whole process has been a delicate operation involving transporting

His Excellency, Wiepke van der Goot, Head of the EC Delegation for the Pacific, at the official openning of the CePaCT building in September, 2009.

plant cultures, laminar flow cupboards, cryopreservation tanks, microscopes, and various virus testing tool kits and lab equipment.

CePaCT’s move to a more modern facility with larger laboratory and office space is a significant event given that the UN has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiveristy.

The new facility gives CePaCT the opportunity to expand its collections, and distribute more planting material.

The demand for planting material continues to increase. CePaCT intends to investigate the use of a bioreactor system to assist in meeting this

demand and ensuring both traditional and improved varieties reach the farmers’ fields

The new facility also enables the research programme within CePaCT to increase. A new research project has just started in collaboration with SOPAC and USP and funded through the AusAID International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative (ICCAI) investigating salt tolerance in swamp taro. Within the coming months a similar collaboration with USP will see a project on pandanus diversity established in CePaCT. These new research programmes are just two components of a larger climate change adaptation programme within CePaCT funded through ICCAI, which includes the building up of the climate ready collection and its evaluation throughout the region.

Conservation remains the core business of the centre, with priority given to the region’s staple crops. CePaCT is acknowledged as the global centre for taro diversity. This collection is the largest in vitro taro collection globally, consisting of over 850 varieties from Pacific and Asian countries, including improved lines

obtained through collaboration with breeding programmes in Papua New Guinea and Samoa.

The importance of this taro collection and also the yam collection held at CePaCT to food security has been recognised globally with the recent signing of a long-term agreement with the Global Crop Diversity Trust providing some long-term funding

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CePaCT is now involved in researching crops and plants that are ‘climate change proof’. support for these collections. This is the first long-term grant provided by the Trust to a collection outside of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

CePaCT is headed by Dr Mary Taylor, with Ms Valerie Saena Tuia as the

Giant swamp taro cultures. CePaCT nakes germplasm available to Pacific island countries.

CePaCT Curator. The outputs of CePaCT are the result of a team of qualified and dedicated staff.

For more information on CePaCT, please contact: lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

CePaCT staff have helped amassed a collection totaling 1,590 accessions.

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Mand Community became the target group for FSM in a global health project coordinated by the Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment (CINE).

For more information on the Pohnpei case study based in Mand Community, see www. indigenousnutrition.org (film) http:// www.mcgill.ca/cine/resources/data/ pohnpei/ (foods), and http://www.fao. org/docrep/012/i0370e/i0370e00.htm (book).

For more information on IFCP, contact Dr Lois Englberger, PhD, P. O. Box 1995, Kolonia, Pohnpei 96941, Federated States of Micronesia.

Website: http://www.islandfood.org Mand Community have established a policy to ban soft drinks from meetings and other community gatherings. Close to 400 different types of local food have been identified across Pohnpei.

FSM Go Local campaign

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he Island Food Community of Pohnpei (IFCP) is continuing its Go Local campaign advocating consumption of diverse local island foods to counter lifestyle changes and the consumption of imported foodstuffs.

The campaign has been underway for several years and numerous communities in Pohnpei are opting for healthier diets based on their rich cultural heritage of local foods.

Interestingly, there were once over 130 varieties of breadfruit found in Pohnpei.

Dr Lois Englberger has led the development of IFCP in its aim to increase production and consumption of local foods. The Let’s Go Local campaign has harnessed the media to push for healthy eating habits using diverse local foods. Promotional posters, postage stamps, postcards, recipe collections, newspaper articles, radio programmes and workshops have all been used to spread the message to island communities.

Culture, health, environment, economic and food security (CHEEF) are values being promoted in the Go Local media campaign. And Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) President Mori is involved in the initiative, exploring a policy of only serving local foods at government workshops.

The strength of the campaign has been underscored by work conducted under a global health project, led by the Centre

for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment (CINE), which documented Pohnpei’s diverse local foods – primarily plants and fish – and gathered information about diets and health. As a result, nearly 400 different types of local food have been identified across Pohnpei, including many varieties of banana, breadfruit, taro, yam, fruits, leafy vegetables and fish.

On 14 February 2010, Mand Community leader Podis Pedreus announced that the Mand Community, Madolenihmw, voted to establish a policy to ban soft drinks from meetings and other gatherings of the community. Mand Community consists of five kousapw, or land sections that officially make up the Pwihn Keisu, Madolenihmw Municipality. This policy was established because of the community’s health concerns. The community has a high prevalence of diabetes and other health ailments that result from diabetes. Diabetes has become a worldwide health problem, and the 2008 Pohnpei STEPs Survey revealed that one in three Pohnpei adults has diabetes.

Before the policy was voted upon, it was explained that the right to individually consume soft drinks remains. However, the community as a group has decided against having soft drinks at its functions because of the health concerns.

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Atoll Agricultural Research The Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services Conference in 2006 recommended that Centres of Excellence for Atoll Agricultural Research and Development be set up in South Tarawa in Kiribati and Majuro in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).

As a response a Centre of Excellence for Atoll Agriculture Research and Development funded by IFAD was launched in South Tarawa in Kiribati in July 2008. The activities at the Centre are built on the works and experiences of the EU-funded SPC Development of Sustainable Agriculture Program (DSAP) and complement the FAO Regional Food Security Programme (RFSP).

The DSAP and RFSP were two of the most important regional agricultural programmes in the Pacific region addressing food security and also involved atoll countries.

The goal of the project at the Centre in Kiribati is to establish and pilot a “center of excellence” for atoll agriculture in Kiribati for the Pacific Island Countries. It will be achieved through implementation of three objectives: (i) Establishing knowledge base on atoll agriculture at the Centre of Excellence with participation of farmers; (ii) Improving knowledge management and dissemination approaches for information generated at the Centre; and (iii) Capacity and institutional building of the “Centre” function to ensure sustainability. The centre provides an opportunity for the scientific community to address related problems which once solved will significantly contribute to promoting development in the atolls.

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The Pacific region has become the first in the world to agree on sharing its genetic mateials.....workshop participants showed commitment to cooperate when it comes to biodiversity.

Capacity to improve safe movement of tree germplasm No country in the world is self-sufficient in genetic resources – it is not possible for a country to sustain its crops, livestock and forests solely on the genetic resources found within its borders....Mr ‘Aleki Sisifa, Director, Land Resources Division.

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iodiversity is a precondition for sustained food security and livelihoods of people. Indeed, according to the Director of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Land Resource Division Mr Aleki Sisifa, it is essential for the very existence of humankind.

Sisifa made these comments during the official opening of the regional workshop on improving the governance and building capacities for the safe movement of tree germplasm between Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTS) held from 15-19 March 2010 at the Novotel in Nadi, Fiji.

‘The loss of agricultural and forestry biodiversity contributes to a deterioration of human health and nutrition, the spread of unsustainable agricultural and forestry practices and an inexorable narrowing of future options.

‘No country in the world is self-sufficient in genetic resources – it is not possible for a country to sustain its crops, livestock and forests solely on the genetic resources found within its borders,’ Mr Sisifa said.

Therefore, he added, we are all interconnected and dependent on one another for genetic resources.

‘What would have happened, for example, to the food security and livelihoods of the people of Samoa, had Palau and the Philippines refused to share with SPC their taro genetic resources, after the taro leaf blight hit Samoa?’

‘Safe and equitable sharing is the rationale behind the most important international initiative in the field of genetic resources in the past decade, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA),’ Sisifa said.

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The Pacific region has become the first in the world to agree on sharing its genetic materials, clearly demonstrating that the region is committed to cooperate when it comes to biodiversity.

‘This positive spirit began 13 years ago when the Pacific Heads of Agriculture at a regional meeting resolved “to put in place, both in their countries and through regional cooperation, policies to conserve, protect and best utilise their plant genetic resources,”’ Sisifa added.

In response to the recommendation of the Heads of Agriculture and Forestry, a two-phase project was developed: the South Pacific Regional Initiative on the Forest Genetic Resources (SPRIG I and II).

These two phases of SPRIG have made excellent progress,

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‘Aleki Sisifa.....biodiversity is a precondition for sustained food security and livelihoods of people, and essential for the very existence of humankind.

collaborating with regional ministries, the University of the South Pacific (USP), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the UN Food and Agriculture Program (FAO) and SPC in fulfilling their goal of helping PICTs conserve, improve and better promote the astute use of the genetic resources of priority regional tree species to enhance environmental protection and to promote economic and rural development.

Since the phasing out of SPRIG in mid-2006, SPC’s Land Resources Division, through its Forests and Trees programme, has sustained the project’s work in the area of forest genetic resources (FGR), including formulating the regional action plan on FGR in 2007. The plan was endorsed in 2008 by Heads of Agriculture and Forestry meeting in Apia, Samoa.

Further, the Regional Germplasm Centre, following the recommendation of the Heads of Agriculture and Forestry meeting in 1998 was renamed the Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT), emphasising the fact that forest genetic resources are an important component of the centre’s work.

The current facility, which boasts state-of-the-art equipment, is located in Narere, a 10-minute drive from SPC’s office in Nabua, Fiji.

During the workshop session on pest risk analysis, Roy Masamdu, Biosecurity and Trade Facilitation Officer with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Land Resources Division stressed the need for more collaboration amongst the various stakeholders to share information pertaining to the import risk analysis (IRA) of genetic material, especially for tree species.

‘Exporting countries should provide adequate information on pests associated with the genetic material being transferred.

‘Pacific Island countries should also assist each other to conduct the risk analysis to identify the quarantine pest and application of import conditions that are effective, safe and appropriate,’ Masamdu said.

He added that a current problem contributing to the lack of information is that not enough surveys are being conducted on forest tree species.

‘Effort is needed to evaluate and identify suitable seed treatment techniques that can be trusted by all parties concerned.’

Masamdu further added that SPC through its Land Resources Division is providing technical assistance to its member countries in addressing this chronic problem.

‘We are also updating and maintaining a pest list database that provides information we believe should assist in the preparation of import risk analysis.’

He said that SPC is also providing tissue cultured planting material that is free of pests.

Masamdu also told the workshop participants that there was an urgent need to conduct research to assess the suitability of seed treatment techniques for specific tree species.

Inadequate information on pests of tree species has been one of the major hindrances on safe movement and

sharing of the genetic materials amongst Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs).

Meanwhile, participants from eight Pacific Island countries agreed that there was an urgent need for capacity building in tree seed collection and treatment.

Further, they were also of the view that there should be greater collaboration among member countries to assist each other in sharing genetic materials and information about pests of tree species.

Twenty participants from the region, comprising representatives of national biosecurity and forestry agencies, attended the weeklong workshop organised by SPC’s Land Resources Division and is supported by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and AusAid.

At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants agreed on the following recommendations for further actions: 1.

AusAID, SPC and the agencies within PICTs should continue to support regular collaborative activities amongst several agencies – governmental, non-governmental and private – to develop effective linkages, to encourage dialogue, to exchange information and to promote awareness and understanding. (.....cont’d on pg 23)

Seeds of sandalwood tree. There is an urgent need for capacity building in tree seed collection and treatment.

volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

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SPC partners with industry and government for success in agriculture FACT is currently directly supporting 18 enterprises in seven Pacific ACP countries, with four partner enterprises located in Fiji.

Based on commercial and other criteria, Kaiming Agro Processing Ltd. was selected by an independent technical advisory group as it fitted well with the project’s criteria.

T

hrough its Land Resources Division, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) will continue to support the initiatives of farmers, entrepreneurs and the governments of Pacific Island countries and territories to add value to agriculture and forestry products.

These comments were made by the Director of SPC’s Land Resource Division Mr Aleki Sisifa while delivering his keynote address at the official opening of Kaiming Agro Processing Limited’s factory in Navua, Fiji Islands in March.

‘It is a pleasure to be part of this great initiative whereby we were able to work together with a private entrepreneur and with the Fiji Government to achieve this milestone in terms of improved processing and marketing of root crops and ginger.’

In addition to congratulating Mr Calvin Qiu, the general manager of Kaiming Agro Processing Limited, Mr Sisifa also said that this development had resulted

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from the support of the Fiji Government and the timely and targeted assistance of SPC through its European Unionfunded FACT (Facilitating Agricultural Commodity Trade) pilot project.

‘SPC has been around for 63 years and in the area of agriculture, our focus has until recently been on strengthening the supply side.

‘However,’ he added, ‘in recent times, SPC’s Land Resources Division broadened its focus to include facilitating trade in agricultural and forestry products.

‘In terms of animal and plant health, we not only help strengthen countries’ quarantine services so they prevent entry of harmful pests and diseases, we also assist them in improving compliance with the quarantine requirements of importing countries.’

Mr Sisifa further stated that one of the division’s goal is to help countries and territories get market access for commodities they can produce.

‘Our support for this new facility is in line with this overall goal for our division, and we are most grateful to the EU for giving us the opportunity to do so through the FACT project, which we have been implementing since May 2008.

‘The overall objective of the project is to promote trade in agricultural and forestry products from Pacific ACP countries.

‘FACT also promotes sustainable increases in quality and range of exports of agriculture and forestry products within and outside of the Pacific region,’ he said.

FACT complements efforts aimed at enhancing regional cooperation and integration. This includes the policy commitment of EU under the Cotonou Agreement to facilitate the integration of Pacific ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States) into the regional and global economies.

Mr Sisifa explained that in assessing the kind of support and assistance needed, FACT undertook supply chain analyses in close consultation with its entrepreneur/ private sector partners, looking at production at the farm level, postharvesting, processing, packaging, marketing and presentation at the point of sale to identify weak links and designing the appropriate means to improve the situation.

‘Bearing in mind that working

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directly with private sector enterprises was new to SPC’s Land Resources Division, FACT had to implement a short-term strategy such that we initially had to focus activities on experienced producers and exporters in the agriculture and forestry sectors in order to gain rapid results and some early successes.’

FACT is currently directly supporting 18 enterprises in seven Pacific ACP countries, with four partner enterprises located in Fiji.

Based on commercial and other criteria, Kaiming Agro Processing Ltd. was selected by an independent technical advisory group as it fitted well with the project’s criteria.

In addition to the various forms of technical assistance provided, FACT has also contributed through helping to equip the facility with a monetary value approaching FJD 100,000.

These include laboratory equipment, a continuous band sealer, a ginger washer, water pumps, scales and pool liners.

With EU-FACT support, this new facility has been designed to meet internationally recognised good manufacturing practices, with plans for the facility to be HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certified before the end of this year.

With its increased capacity, imminent HACCP certification and excellent working environment, Kaiming will be able to further increase its exports and tap into new markets it has not been able to access before.

‘A lot of lessons have been learnt and experiences gained, and these

Fiji Government and EU through LRD’s FACT project have proven that together we can achieve a lot....Mr Calvin Qiu (above, far left), with guests at the opening of the processing facility.

will be used to provide support to other enterprises/producers not only here in Fiji but in the other Pacific Island countries and territories,’ said Mr Sisifa.

‘SPC’s Land Resources Division is mindful of issues such as climate change and environmental degradation; therefore, we have integrated sustainable farming approaches by incorporating organic, agroforestry and other environmental friendly farming methods into the mix.’

The FACT project has also supported a roots crops processing facility with Balthan Western Limited in Labasa. The recent opening of that

‘Aleki Sisifa, third from left, together with LRD staff at the official opening of Kaiming Agro Processing Facility in Navua, Fiji Islands. volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

processing site has brought smiles to the faces of a number of farmers as they have now secured a good market for their root crops.

These two initiatives will help reduce poverty by providing employment and markets for the farmers and rural communities of Navua, Labasa and other areas of Fiji.

Meanwhile, Mr Calvin Qiu has thanked European Union and Land Resources Division of SPC in further boosting his business.

“I want to thank the European Union and the Land Resources Division as their timely assistance enabled me to fast track my business plans.”

“Fiji Government and EU through LRD’s FACT project have proven that together we can achieve a lot.” Mr Qiu said.

He believes that his improved facility for root crops and ginger processing will be an added incentive for farmers to produce more.

Mr Qiu plans to start processing of crystallised ginger by early 2012 as he is putting in place all the necessary equipments and logistics.

FIELD GENEBANKS CONSERVE ISLAND FOOD CROPS...frm pg 2

the leguminous cover crop mucuna began in 2006 with the importation of mucuna seeds from Tonga. The mucuna cover crop has proven highly efficient in bringing back nutrients to heavily farmed land. The imported mucuna seeds were planted at the research station for multiplication, following further distribution to farmers as part of a package to promote good farming practices for sustainable land management.

The project is funded by SPC with collaboration from research and extension staff at the Taveuni Research Centre. A hundred farmers are involved in the project and have all received mucuna seeds for further multiplication.

The garden island will continue to grow export taro to supply a lucrative overseas market with its favoured pest-free taro. However, farmers should continue to adopt sustainable farming practices to maintain Taveuni’s land productivity as well as the genetic diversity of its food crops.

For more information, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

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Samoa Farmers’ Association grows, benefit farmers SFA has worked in partnership with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and MAF to supply food crop planting material to areas affected by the September tsunami. SPC helped set up the Samoa Farmers’ Association.

T

he Samoa Farmers’ Association (SFA) has grown rapidly in the last 12 months. This growth will continue, with new initiatives being undertaken to improve the performance of the agricultural sector, and with them a growing need for farmer groups that can better mobilise farmers to help implement these initiatives.

SFA needs to build its capacity to effectively represent the interests of farmers and to help ensure the availability of the resources and support services needed by farmers. SFA will aim to strengthen its governance structure and management capacity.

The association was involved in the following activities in late 2009 and early 2010.

Distribution of tiapula SFA took delivery of over 18,000 tiapula (taro tops) under the food security programme of the Ministry of Agriculture, in response to a reported shortage of tiapula planting material.

Varieties selected and distributed were mostly those recommended for planting by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Lime planting material Lime exports to New Zealand will soon become a prominent activity for SFA members if current trial shipments of Tahitian lime are successful.

SFA placed an order for 1,000 lime seedlings from MAF for distribution to its members. MAF technicians have carried out propagation using air layering to speed up production of seedlings and to meet the demand for lime planting material.

NZ importers Samoa Limes Cooperative and Hancocks Wine and Spirits met with MAF and SFA members in January to discuss trade details and to plan production capacity in anticipation of increased demand.

Weekly shipments of around 300 kg of lime have been successfully made following an initial shipment of 40 kg to test the suitability of the lime and to test the commodity pathway to comply with New Zealand biosecurity requirements. SFA has set an ambitious target of 1,000 kg of weekly shipments of export lime.

Discussions between SFA and the CEO of the Department of

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Agriculture have raised the possibility of SFA managing the lime plot at Nuu Crop Centre. SFA is committed to train famers in proper management of lime plots to comply with overseas trade standards.

Supply of planting materials SFA has worked in partnership with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and MAF to supply food crop planting material to areas affected by the September tsunami. SFA members were able to supply 14,500 tiapula (taro tops), 4,100 banana seedlings, 4,000 taamu (Alocasia), 1,350 breadfruit seedlings, and 900 sweet potato bundles. All SFA members were given the opportunity to participate in supplying the planting material, and those who did received over USD 23,000.

This is an ongoing exercise, with future requirements expected for pig and chicken breeders.

Building capacity SFA appointed its first Operations Manager to help coordinate the growth in its work for its members. The

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new Operations Manager, Tuaifaiva Lasa Aiono (Ms), was previously the Business Manager and is a long-serving member of the management committee.

Tuaifaiva brings a wealth of experience in farming as well as management.

With the appointment of the Operations Manager SFA can better use its office space at the Department of Agriculture headquarters in Apia as a point of contact for its members.

SFA has received a used vehicle from FAO and SPC has donated a printer to the SFA office. SFA has requested a volunteer from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for technical assistance. JICA is considering the proposal this year.

SFA continues to source funds for its operations, and is working towards completing its amended constitution and finalising its Strategic Plan 2010–2013.

SFA membership survey It has been apparent for some time that SFA lacks a comprehensive database of its membership, including data on production capacities, farmer needs and issues, markets, and potential capacities of each farmer.

SFA committee members have completed a survey of the membership based on farm visits and information gathered from interviews. Data collected will be very useful for planning and will allow the government to have baseline data on national farming activities. Farmers participating in the survey expressed appreciation for the opportunity to discuss the challenges

they face in farming. Data collected will be entered into a database.

SFA now has over 100 farmers registered, and membership is open to farmers, farmer groups, buyers and suppliers of farm inputs.

EU area-wide project The EU-funded area-wide project involves SFA and MAF working in partnership to identify farmers to register under the breadfruit and Tahitian lime export projects. Registered farmers follow a strict management regime of spraying and laying traps as required by the project. The Pacific area-wide project is funded by EU and is a major initiative to stimulate export of agricultural produce. Breadfruit, pawpaw and lime are among the products that have been identified as having export potential. The areawide project aims to minimise insect and pest infestation so the produce meets overseas quality standards and quarantine requirements.

In the second half of 2009, a delegation from MAF, SFA farmers and committee members visited farms and businesses in Fiji involved in the export of breadfruit and other fruits.

Exporting green breadfruit continues to be a focus for SFA and the EU area-wide project. There is also work on the commodity pathway process which involves verifying the capabilities of the HTFA (hightemperature forced-air) machine and meeting the phytosanitary requirements of importing countries.

Breadfruit and lime have been identified as having the best prospects at present for exports and SFA is closely involved in implementing this programme. SFA has also expressed an interest in running the heat treatment plant pending clearance on the adoption of the commodity pathway system as an export requirement.

Improving crop yield and fertiliser efficiency in project (PARJIB) SFA executive members are participating in consultations on a proposed regional project to improve crop yields via more efficient application of fertiliser. The project is still in the planning phase but will

SFA is developing a comprehensive database on the production capacities of its members. volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

involve research into current fertiliser use, crop yields, and technology transfer to allow farmers to access and use more suitable fertilisers and application methods.

International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) membership Following meetings in Apia with the Director and Secretary of IFAP, SFA applied for membership in IFAP and was accepted, becoming the first Pacific Island farmer organisation to join the federation. Since then, SFA was invited to send a participant as part of the IFAP delegation to consultations with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in October last year with the aim of promoting investment in farm research in the Asia-Pacific region. Results of that consultation will be discussed on the global level and SFA will make contributions.

Advocacy and community liaison SFA represents its members on a number of national project committees and national planning bodies. This representation allows SFA to promote its development objectives and to influence the direction of national policies relating to agriculture. It also allows more effective networking with other stakeholders with a common interest in farming activities.

EU-All ACP Agricultural Commodities Project SFA and FAO have signed a letter of agreement under which FAO will support SFA in carrying out a programme to strengthen capacity to meet the requirements of local and overseas markets for agricultural produce. The capacity strengthening programme addresses some of the opportunities and challenges identified under the Fruit and Vegetable Sector Plan of MAF. The initial focus is on the ability of farmers to meet the demands of the growing local market for fruits and vegetables. The programme will involve training on farm management and production and on post-harvest handling and quality control.

(Submitted by Toleafoa Afamasaga, SFA Secretary).

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Progress for Pacific organic agriculture The Pacific Islands Organic Standard (POS) was developed by the Pacific Organic and Ethical Community (POETCom), which consists largely of members of national organic associations. Some Pacific products are now being exported as organic certified.

N

ational organic associations, which in most cases are almost entirely NGO-based, are paving the way for the development of organic agriculture in the Pacific. Regional organisations with international donor partners are helping develop organic standards and certification. For example, the Pacific Islands Organic Standard (POS) was developed by the Pacific Organic and Ethical Community (POETCom), which consists largely of members of national organic associations. Some Pacific products are now being exported as organic certified.

However, there is still a long way to go.

POETCom secretariat provided the following information requested on the development of organic agriculture for the Pacific.

What crops are being developed in the production of organic foods in the Pacific?

Most crops are now available in organic form in at least small quantities in different countries. Some are organic by default as they are being produced under traditional systems with no commercial or chemical inputs. In places like Kiribati, to protect the water table, chemical inputs are not allowed. Other products are being produced under organically certified systems where a third party inspects and verifies their organic status.

There is a market in New Zealand for giant taro (Alocasia). Some Pacific crops are organic by default as they are produced under traditional systems with no commercial or chemical inputs.

Are there any specific commodities being produced under organic systems in the Pacific?

At present, organically certified products being exported from the Pacific include beef, coffee, cocoa, coconut oil (as virgin coconut oil), vanilla and other spices, noni, and lady finger banana (fresh and dried). Samoa, Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Niue and Tahiti all have organically certified land. There may be others as records are incomplete, in particular in Fiji and PNG where some certification is done by the private sector, which is not always keen to share data.

How does the Pacific Organic Standard compare with other standards?

The Pacific Organic Standard (POS) was developed in conjunction with two other documents as a guide and baseline – the IFOAM Basic Standard and the CODEX Alimentarius. We also referenced other standards used in the region such as BIOGro and NASAA.

We are currently undergoing an equivalency process with EU organic regulations and with the Organic International Accreditation Service, to enable POS to be declared equivalent to the EU standard. We have not yet sought USDA equivalence. The EU and USDA do not recognise each other as equivalent. Thus, it is unlikely the Pacific will achieve full equivalence, but partial equivalence is possible. We would probably disagree on livestock regulations – not because POS is deficient but because Pacific farming methods are so different that the overseas requirements would simply not apply or not be financially viable in the Pacific. This was one of the reasons for developing our own standard in the first place –to recognise our unique production methods and environment.

volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

Selected products such as cocoa have market opportunities in Japan and Europe How successful is the project in Fiji?

Until the Pacific have its organic guarantee system in place, which will happen in 12 months, the Pacific is not able to use POS for certification.

However, the Fiji Organic Association (FOA) has been formed and is starting to work on building awareness and interest amongst farmers and processors.

Some work has also been carried out with small farmer groups that are interested in organics, and there is significant potential to develop locally guaranteed organic production for the tourism and hospitality sector. FOA is in need of capacity building and donor assistance to get off the ground and to provide services to farmers.

The organisation has a strategic plan in place and is seeking partners for implementation.

Currently Fiji is exporting small quantities of organic virgin coconut oil and spices.

What are the main markets being targeted?

Australia and NZ initially for most of the Pacific, but given Fiji’s direct air links to the US, there is a viable market for fresh produce from Fiji.

Selected products such as noni and cocoa also have market opportunities in Japan and EU. What are the main constraints in the implementation of the organic project?

The key constraint is resources. POS cannot be implemented fully until we have the infrastructure in place to ensure the integrity of organic production.

POETCom and SPC also want to ensure that small farmers benefit from POS and have access to these new organic market opportunities. To be able to do

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this, we need to develop strong farmer support groups at country level to establish these links and facilitate market access for smallholders. This requires resources.

Compared to Australia, USA and other major producing countries, how do you envisage organic food production from the region?

POETCom is working to have organic agriculture accessible at all levels of the farming community – not just to larger scale commercial operators. Organics needs to be ‘recognised’ at different levels, from third-party certification for exports to local-level participatory guarantee systems (PGS).

Organic agriculture is seen as key to sustainable livelihoods and to protecting our environments. POETCom is working towards having organic food widely and inexpensively available in the islands. The priority is to have foodstuffs available that are clean and safe for our people in the region.

In terms of sustainability, what are the benefits and major constraints in spearheading organic production?

Major benefits are clean safe food, and environmental protection. It also offers protection from contamination including from GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and climate change impacts.

Biodiversity is also protected. There are livelihood benefits for smallholders through access to niche markets, and opportunities for value adding. Farmers are generally enthusiastic about organics as it is seen as the way our forefathers worked the land.

The major constraints include access to appropriate organic seed stock for some crops (vegetables), and the cost of certification. This is being overcome by duplicating some more cost-effective models functioning in the region. There is a lack of expertise in agricultural extension services in organic agriculture. We are working to counteract this by introducing more organic agriculture content in USP courses. POETCom has a representative from USP. Strong farmer support groups are needed to provide and facilitate market links. Education about the value of organics – not just for earning $$ but for health benefits.

What issues are important for facilitating commercial organic food production in the Pacific?

Support has come from a high level with the formation of the Pacific High Level Organic Group, which is chaired by the Prime Minister of Samoa (right, receiving Pacific Organic Standard from ‘Aleki Sisifa) and made up of five other regional heads of government.

What level of support is forthcoming from Pacific island governments for organic production?

Governments have been supportive of this initiative and have been involved in the development of POS. It has also been officially adopted by regional heads and ministers of agriculture.

Support has come from a high level with the formation of the Pacific High Level Organic Group, which is chaired by the Prime Minister of Samoa and made up of five other heads of governments from the region.

There are challenges in some countries due to lack of understanding and expertise within ministries. These issues are being addressed by including more organic content in USP degree courses and by SPC advocating the inclusion of organic farming in extension services. In some countries, agriculture ministries are the driving forces in supporting farmer groups to facilitate development of organic agriculture.

How many individual farmers or groups are interested in producing specific organic crops for export?

In Samoa, there are 350 certified farms and a long waiting list, but Samoa has been working on organics for a long time and it can take a while to build up momentum. For the first several years, we only had six farms!

volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

Biosecurity issues are very important.

Research is needed to develop more organically acceptable treatments for fruit fly, for example. High temperature forced air treatment can be used on some crops and for some pests, but other solutions are needed as well.

Fiji exports substantial quantities of organically certified noni, but it is difficult to get data on this.

Wainiyaku Estate on Taveuni, which is currently being assisted by FACT to develop a HACCP plan, exports more than 100 tonnes of organically certified (by NASAA) virgin coconut oil each year, with plans to double production within the next year.

Wainiyaku’s oil is also now being used

by Pure Fiji for its body care products and re-packed and sold as organic oil under at least two different labels in Australia.

Labelling is an important issue when it comes to marketing organic products.

In the Pacific, POETCom has developed a logo for those producers certified according to the Pacific Organic Standard. The logo has been developed with two versions. The green one saying ‘certified’ is available only to products certified by third party.

The brown version saying ‘Guaranteed by...’ is available to PGS intiatives that use the Pacific standard and are approved by POETCom. There is a space in the logo to include the name of the PGS system which guarantees the product.

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Mobile technologies to improve access to market information Limited capacity within traditional national extension systems is recognised as a barrier to efficient dissemination of market information. Extension work is hampered by a lack of staff and resources to reach sites to collect and disseminate information.

Thus, mobile phones could help link extension systems with farmers to disseminate information on crop pricing as well as pests and diseases.

R

ural farmers in the Pacific may soon be able to access market information from short text messages using mobile phones, if a planned pilot project in Fiji becomes successful.

A meeting of national and regional stakeholders who are keen to improve access to market data and to establish an efficient market information system (MIS) was recently held at SPC in Suva.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is helping develop an MIS for the Pacific, initially focusing on fruits and vegetables and tree crops.

However, participants at the 2008 All ACP Commodities workshop wanted to broaden the scope to include information such as market prices at key regional markets in Australia and New Zealand, including prices of inputs, and information on weather and road conditions. Lack of capacity, however, is a major challenge to integrating new information into existing systems.

UNCTAD supports the establishment of a regional information hub that would be based at SPC in Suva. Such an information hub would build on the capacity of countries in regional and international trade.

In the meantime, UNCTAD

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will work to improve the Fiji MIS with its major partner, the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) through Fiji AgTrade, which is mandated to facilitate trade and commodity development.

Fiji’s MPI has an existing agricultural helpdesk that helps farmers with information requests. Plans are in place to have four call centres to bring this assistance closer to rural areas.

Representatives of Fiji’s Hotel and Tourism Industry said they are already using short message service (SMS) and email to contact its members, especially to inform them of imminent extreme weather conditions.

The industry would ideally like to do the same with farmers to inform them of their fresh produce needs, as demand changes throughout the year. Currently, they are working with middlemen as their go-between to buy local produce.

The Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation said they can help source information for the development of an MIS, from Samoa, Vanuatu and Fiji. They added that it was important to reach out to middleman with a system that will incorporate their role and interests, in the absence of any formal network or association of middlemen.

Meeting participants heard that many farmers are totally dependent on middlemen to market their produce, provide transport for their produce (even providing advice on what crops to grow), and farm inputs. An issue was raised that middlemen might be impartial to an integrated MIS as they would want to keep their exclusive access to market information as their business edge.

Fiji’s Hotel and Tourism Industry are working on different grades for fruits and vegetables, and would like to use mobile phone technology to incorporate this information for dissemination to famers. Fiji has different categories of famers who supply hotels with fresh produce.

A point was raised about the rather disorganised and fragmented production supply chains for most fresh produce. A representative of the Koko Siga horticultural company noted that considerable work needs to be done to re-align supply with demand because the two forces change throughout the year. Coordinating production is important in the supply chain (e.g. sourcing planting material, planting methods, farm inputs), and farmers need to have good skills in these areas.

Limited capacity within traditional

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national extension systems is recognised as a barrier to efficient dissemination of market information. Extension work is hampered by a lack of staff and resources to reach sites to collect and disseminate information. Thus, mobile phones could help link extension systems with farmers to disseminate information on crop pricing as well as pests and diseases.

Representatives of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat said that trade facilitation is one of the organisation’s core functions through its private sector development arm, the Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commission (PITIC). PITIC puts buyers in touch with sellers, both at the national and international level. PITIC has offices in New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

UNCTAD gave the example of INFOSHARE, an online database system that has a wealth of market information. Authorised users can upload market information from any computer with an Internet connection.

It is quite possible for a mobile phone SMS system to integrate with this system, thus allowing the distribution of market information through mobile phone technology.

UNCTAD will continue consultations to develop a user-friendly platform to disseminate information via mobile phones, and identifying a central location to manage the information system.

Stakeholders agreed that there is a need to develop a better MIS, and that relevant regional and national organisations should collaborate to improve on current formats.

SPC supports efforts to use ICTs to facilitate trade and to link farmers to market information.

Pathogen testing technology to improve production of sweet potato

P

athogen testing (PT) is now being used to identify and remove viruses from sweet potato in a research collaboration between Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and the Papua New Guinea National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) Highlands Research Centre.

The work is being carried out under the ACIAR project SMCN 2004/071 ‘Reducing pest and disease impact on yield in selected PNG sweet potato production systems’. The project is housed at NARI where laboratory facilities and quarantine mesh igloos were established for the virus testing phase.

The PT scheme covers a number of activities including germplasm maintenance, foundation seed production, reselection, heat treatment, meristem culture, virus indexing, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

The main objective of the scheme is to remove viruses from sweet potato plants. It also ensures plants are free from other diseases such as scab and scurf, and from pests such as gall mites and weevils (eggs deposited on the vines).

In the initial phase of the project, 16 sweet potato varieties were imported from SPC (Fiji) as well as the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (Australia). These were subsequently multiplied and maintained in vitro. Six of the varieties were distributed to farmers for on-farm

testing. Nine commercial varieties of significance to the PNG industry were identified and sent to Australia for PT treatment. Applying ELISA and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing found these varieties infected with four virus diseases – sweet potato feathery mottle virus, sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus, sweet potato virus G, and a group of viruses from the Bergamo group (not fully sequenced). Virus indexing skills, developed during the capacity building phase of the project, have proved useful for virus identification.

The virus identification method involves grafting vine from the suspected infected sweet potato plant on to an indicator plant, the Ipomoea setosa, a wild relative of sweet potato.

Over time, the indicator plant becomes infected with the virus, with the leaves showing symptoms of the infection more clearly than would the original sweet potato plant. This process is cross checked using ELISA, which identifies the type of virus present.

The new PT process removes viruses from the sweet potato plants.

The traditional method is to grow plants in pots in a special heat cabinet at increasing temperatures over a threemonth period. At the end of the heat treatment, the meristems, the small group of cells at the growing tip of

(...cont’d on pg 20)

Mr Popsen Opeyu pruning and maintaining PT cuttings in the insect-proof igloo. volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

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Sandalwood planting in Port Vila....the Department of Forests, through the forestry extension project, emphasises the growing of indigenous trees on small 1-ha woodlots of 100 trees per farmer plot.

Forestry development in Vanuatu In 2006, the department of forests, in collaboration with the meteorology department, initiated the first Vanuatu carbon credit project. A Forestry Research Institute is also being established with a mandate to cover agro-forestry and manage the National Forest Herbarium.

V

anuatu’s forestry industry was once based largely on natural forest resources, with logs being indiscriminately exported without proper management or control.

It was not until the late 1970s, with increasing demand for timber, that plantation forestry became a recognised sector. Two exotic species were identified, one for wet sites, cordia (Cordia alliodora), and pine (Pinus carribea) for dry sites. The two forestry programmes progressed into the 1980s, but these two exotic species did not do well.

The Vanuatu Sustainable Forest Utilisation Project was later established with funding from the Australian government for the management of the natural forest resource.

Vanuatu also became part of the South Pacific Regional Initiative on the Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources (SPRIG) from 1997 to 2003. SPRIG, which

There is a need to establish proper community timber yards equipped with industry standard saw milling equipment.

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was funded by AusAID, undertook research on several indigenous tree species – whitewood (Endospermum medullosum), sandalwood (Santalum austrocaledonicum), natapoa (Terminilia catapa) and nangai (Canarium indicum). AusAID continues to fund further research on these indigenous species.

The Department of Forests, through the forestry extension project, emphasises the growing of indigenous trees on small 1-ha woodlots of 100 trees per farmer plot.

In 2009, the New Zealand government funded the establishment of nine forestry nurseries producing 200,000 seedlings and trained some 600 farmers in the field. There is also a commercial planting programme for whitewood and sandalwood.

Since the closure of the two big sawmills, timber harvesting has been scaled down. However, there are over 50 portable saw mills in operation throughout Vanuatu.

In 2006, the department of forests, in collaboration with the meteorology department, initiated the first Vanuatu carbon credit project. The project is coordinated by the Vanuatu National Advisory Committee on Climate Change.

Under this initiative, the department leads forestry development and has re-established another national tree planting programme. The plantation forestry initiative is targeting the planting of three priority species: S. austrocaledonicum, E. medullosum and C. indicum.

A Forestry Research Institute is also being established with a mandate to cover agro-forestry and manage the National Forest Herbarium. The institute will oversee the establishment of botanical gardens within watershed management areas.

National authorities have expressed the need to establish proper community timber yards equipped with industry standard saw milling equipment. The need has been identified in a move to cut down on timber wastage and sustain the use of forest resources.

(For more information, please contact Mr Ioan Vijj, principal forest officer, PMB 9064, Port Vila, Vanuatu. E-mail: ioan_viji02@yahoo. com.)

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Biological farming in soil school training

B

iological farming uses nature’s own resources to enrich the soil and provide better crop yields.

Biological farming, or ‘smart farming’, is less destructive to the land than conventional farming practices, which rely on heavy soil tillage and chemical inputs, and results in reduced organic matter. Because biological farming relies less on external inputs, it is more economical, and it focuses on increasing microbial activity to improve soil health.

A farmer’s group on Taveuni Island, called ‘ Tei Tei Taveuni’, recently received training on biological farming techniques in an innovative adult learning approach called ‘soil school’. The approach is based on improving farming methods through the study of soil and its properties, which will ultimately help to improve soil conditions for better crop production.

It is a common practice for Taveuni farmers to leave the land to fallow after harvest in order to allow organic matter to return naturally to the soil. Farmers tend to clear new land for farming because of the high expected yields. Using Mucuna cover crop during

the fallow period improves soil nutrients and reduces fallow time.

The soil school training was highly informative for the 42 participants who took part in learning the tools of soil testing, sampling and soil analysis for good soil management.

Much of biological farming is based on soil analysis and applying appropriate measures to increase crop yields and sustain soil organic matter. The training introduced five different tools for soil analysis and assessment, and markers were established to observe changes in the soil over time. Armed with an understanding of how to conduct soil tests, farmers were tasked with constructing fertiliser programmes based on the results of soil analyses.

Farmers expressed a need for visual aids during the training in order to see with their own eyes what is occurring in the soil, especially to analyse changes taking place in soil nutrients over time.

Categorising soils into different groups also helps farmers to understand the limitations of each soil group when planning which crops to grow. Farmers also said they needed to focus their attention on learning specific topics such as soil micronutrients, soil sample interpretation, and soil pH.

Taveuni agriculture extension staff helped organise the training with assistance from UNDP. SPC’s Land Resources Division provided funding assistance for the training.

For more information, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

Supporting value chains for export markets

T

he activities of Nature’s Way Cooperative (NWC), which assists producers (including small-scale farmers) and others involved in the commodities pathway, are generating considerable foreign exchange for the government and people of Fiji. The cooperative’s governance structure and mode of operations have benefited other Pacific Island nations as well.

Recently, Mr Sant Kumar, Manager of NWC, attended a meeting in China on value chains for export commodities.

He was accompanied by Mr Stephen Hazelman, Coordinator of SPC’s LRD Information, Communication and Extension Section.

The cooperative has been instrumental in supporting the whole value chain for export commodities, with very close collaboration among the farmers, exporters, Biosecurity Fiji, and the overseas buyers. Its approach has clearly defined the roles of the various players: extension workers, researchers, farmers, exporters and middlemen, importers and the cooperative. Other nations in the Pacific have learned from Fiji’s experience.

The cooperative is owned by 120 growers and exporters, the vast majority of whom are small-scale farmers. Established in 1995, NWC carries out mandatory quarantine treatment on behalf of Fiji’s fruit export industry. Through the services that NWC provides, small-scale farmers are able to access export markets.

On their way to attend the meeting in China, Kumar and Hazelman visited the popular Hong Kong commodity market, and by chance met with an importer there who had a keen interest to import Fiji Red papaya. A sample of four cartons of the favoured red papaya was shipped on the new

(...cont’d on pg 23) Farmers take soil samples to learn the biological activity in the soil. volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

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Quarantine training to improve border operations for Micronesia

The biosecurity training on border operations held at the University of Guam is an example of how SPC can call on facilities and expertise available from regional educational institutions for capacity building in a collaborative approach.

T

he value of biosecurity border operations is increasing as the threat of transboundary movement of pests and diseases becomes a more important issue with the rise of air travel and global trade. This was the main focus of recent quarantine training held at the University of Guam College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. As well as reviewing the role of biosecurity operations, the training also focused on vessel inspection procedures and understanding the importance of proper pest diagnosis.

The subregional training brought together quarantine officers from Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).

The training taught skills in diagnosing exotic pests and diseases and proper inspection procedures for aircraft, passengers, baggage, cargo, sea containers and vessels entering the region. The main objective was to teach participants to be able to

detect unwanted exotic pests or alien species. The training emphasised the need to work closely with relevant border agencies such as customs and immigration.

The one-week training was a collaborative effort amongst technical experts from SPC Land Resources Division (LRD), the US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), the University of Guam and the Guam Department of Agriculture. SPC’s Regional Office for the North Pacific assisted with the logistics of the training. The training was coordinated by Ms Mereseini Seniloli of the SPC regional office.

LRD Biosecurity and Trade Facilitation Officer Mr Roy Masamdu says the training is an example of how SPC can call on facilities and expertise available from regional educational institutions and service agencies such as USDA APHIS for capacity building in a collaborative approach. Mr Masamdu thanked SPC donor partners Australia and New Zealand for funding the participation of RMI, Federated States

volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

of Micronesia and Palau through the PACER (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations) Regional Trade Facilitation Programme, and USDA APHIS for funding the participation of Guam and CNMI. The University of Guam made available staff, facilities and the venue for the training.

A participant at the training, Dr Ignacio dela Cruz, CNMI Secretary for Lands and Natural Resources, says the refresher training was very useful to him as a policy-maker and for those who implement biosecurity policy and strategies in CNMI.

‘The training has provided me with good insight into the role of biosecurity and vessel inspection procedures and an understanding of the importance of proper pest diagnostics.’

He recommended that the training continue on a regular basis to enable officers to be updated and made aware of new invasive aliens, exotic pests and inspection and treatment procedures.

For more information, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

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SUPPORTING EXPORT MARKETS...frm pg 21 direct Air Pacific flight to Hong Kong during the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament in March.

The trial shipment was successful and a 1.4 tonne export market for red papaya was secured. The Chinese embassy in Fiji assisted with communications in securing this market.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funded the meeting in China and SPC contributed towards the attendance of the two participants from Fiji.

Mr Sant Kumar with the agent who is now looking to import 1.4 tonnes of Fiji Red papaya into the Hong Kong market.

SAFE MOVEMENT OF TREE GERMPLASM...frm pg 11 2.

Agencies in the PICTs should always strive to encourage positive, helpfulattitudes among and between all stakeholders inside and outside each PICT, through workshops and in other practical ways. The benefits for efficiencies, integration and information sharing should be widely publicized.

3.

All relevant agencies and other stakeholders should carefully define acceptable levels of safety and risk in each import-export situation, consistent with regulations and measurable criteria for biosecurity.

4.

At all stages of processing import and export proposals the stakeholders should discuss the achievement of practical balances between ‘protection’ and ‘facilitation’, consistent with the protection of biosecurity through the IRA processes.

5.

National forestry and quarantine agencies in each PICT should continue to collaborate in examining possible ways to simplify administrative procedures and improve facilities to encourage easy, quick and informal exchange of tree germplasm amongst all PICTs..

6.

Quarantine agencies should provide (written, electronic and verbal) guidelines, guidance and information to all importers and exporters on the many steps in the administrative procedures, and should keep all stakeholders fully informed at all stages of the import and export procedures. Stakeholder workshops are useful mechanisms for promoting awareness and disseminating information.

7.

Forestry agencies should clarify their requirements for IRAs for import and export of seed of particular tree species and then set in motion the necessary scientific and administrative processes (such as compiling pest databases from PICTs) well ahead of the time the seed is to be exchanged.

8.

SPC, CSIRO (Plant Industry and Entomology), forestry and quarantine agencies should urgently encourage and support reliable research on the common pests and diseases (and their pathways) of seeds of priority tree species, and on the effects of numerous fumigants and other treatments on tree seed viability.

9.

The quarantine agencies should be aware of the particular requirements for processing tree seeds (especially the recalcitrant seeds) and their packaging, and should plan to have the expertise and capacity to process larger numbers of consignments and quantities of seed if necessary.

10.

Develop practical protocols for all aspects of seed handling, including collection, processing, testing, treatment, storage, documentation and dispatch. Initial and refresher training programmes in these processes and protocols should be undertaken in each PICT. 11.

Forestry agencies, with the support of SPC, should seek adequate funding to provide and upgrade seed handling facilities.

12.

SPC and its supporters must develop the necessary physical facilities and human capacities for efficient and effective operation of the Tree Seed Centre in CePaCT.

It was the first workshop held in which officials from both forestry and quarantine agencies in the Pacific have been able to meet to discuss safe and efficient methods of exchanging tree germplasm among Pacific Island States.

The participants reached the conclusion that the workshop has been a success and will certainly result in improved cooperation between the agencies within and between each PICT.

volume 6 number 1 - April 2010

PATHOGEN TESTING TECHNOLOGY...frm pg 19 the plant, are removed and plants are grown from these using tissue culture techniques. These plants are again tested to see if the virus has been removed. If not the process is repeated. As part of the project, both PNG and Queensland are developing a new streamlined process that will enable all heat treatments to be done with tissue culture plantlets rather than potted plants.

As part of the field application, more than 500 PT cuttings were distributed to 22 sites in Eastern and Western Highlands Provinces via our PNG project partner, the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA). Farmers and FPDA village extension workers were given an aphid-proof igloo for bulking the PT planting material.

Subsequently, the first on-farm igloos were established in May 2008 and the project is now evaluating igloo design and materials and conducting on-farm trials to assess the use of PT sweet potato planting material compared with non-PT planting material.

The sweet potato industry in Queensland has been very successful in using the PT scheme to improve the yield and quality of tubers. All major Queensland sweet potato growers are now using 100% PT stock as planting material and have seen increases in marketable yields of 25–30 t/ha . The establishment of a similar scheme for PNG’s most valuable food crop will not only benefit farmers but will also assist researchers and help improve food security.

(Article submitted by Dorcas Homare).

Sweet potato, PNG’s most valuable crop

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Land Resources News

‘Aleki Sisifa and his good lady Siulolo observe proceedings at a farewell function hosted by the SPC family, Nabua.

LRD farewells ‘Aleki Sisifa Fa’amalo i lau afioga Aleki Sisifa. Your service to Samoa is acknowledged. Your full support to the Heads and Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry Services meetings in Samoa in 2008 gave the two occasions great success. The farm fair side event had given birth to many new initiatives at the national level. LRD support on biosecurity matters was in full strength during the South Pacific Games. There are numerous other kind assistance you have provided for Samoa. Your leadership has brought LRD to where it is now, especially during difficult times. God bless and may your next move be on your side.

Alofa’aga, Asuao Kirifi Pouono CEO, Samoa MAF

M

r ‘Aleki Sisifa, the first Director of SPC’s Land Resources Division (LRD), has completed his term and has left the services of SPC. Mr Sisifa was recruited in 2004 when the new division was established, integrating previously separate agriculture, animal health, and forestry sectors. The formation of the new division was the result of a consultative report prepared for SPC’s governing body, the Council of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA), which recommended the integration of SPC agricultural technical services to be in line with national agricultural services.

Under Mr Sisifa’s leadership, LRD provided services to PICTs through six technical thematic teams: plant health, forests and trees, forestry & agriculture diversification, animal health and production, crop production, and genetic resources. Three other teams provided

‘Aleki Sisifa assisted by Asuao Kirifi to co-chair the HOAFS-MOAF back to back meetings in Apia in 2008.

SPC-LRD main donor partners are European Union (EU), AusAID, volume 6 number 1 Cooperation - April 2010 NZAid, German Technical Agency (GTZ), and Taiwan/ Republic of China

overarching services: information, communication and extension, land management and resources, and LRD administrative support.

Mr Sisifa took the helm in consultations with stakeholders in developing the first LRD Strategic Plan (covering the period 2005–2009), which guided LRD work in subsequent years.

‘Aleki championed the participatory development of LRD work plans – a strength of LRD. The approach allows ownership by the communities of development plans affecting their lives.

LRD became the secretariat for the Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services, which meet bi-annually to guide and endorse LRD work plans, allowing greater input from the national level into LRD activities. The meeting of Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry provided the vision for the development of agriculture in Pacific region. Mr Sisifa became the first point of contact for these two forums.

Former Permanent Secretary of Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture, and current Head of the Commonwealth Veterinary Association, Dr Robin Yarrow summed up Mr Sisifa’s service to the Pacific region.

‘Mr ‘Aleki Sisifa has made an immense contribution to both the agriculture and wider land-based natural resources sectors during more than three decades of diligent service to the Pacific Island region. The manner in which LRD has developed and become the highly integrated and responsive service it is now is a credit to ‘Aleki’s vision, leadership and sheer ‘hard yards’ on the ground. While LRD is very important for the entire region, it plays a most critical role for the smaller Pacific Island countries which lack capacity and special skills. ‘‘Aleki’s many fine qualities include a distinct and special ability to carefully listen to and take constructive account of all views and inputs.

‘Speaking on behalf of the Commonwealth Veterinary Association, I pay tribute to the way in which ‘Aleki has worked with us in a spirit of partnership and for the invaluable support which has been provided, in particular by the Animal Health and Production Service, in the process.

‘At another level, ‘Aleki has been a greatly valued colleague and friend.

‘Although no longer physically at LRD, his inspiration will always be present.’

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Land Resources News