Disaster-prone communities in Vanuatu prepared with food preservation technology
With El Nino following hard on the heels of Tropical Cyclone Pam in March 2015, subsistence farmer Ruta Bule faced a difficult recovery. “Cyclone Pam came and that was bad. The storm spoiled our gardens. But then El Nino came and that was even worse.” Said Ruta.
Rebuilding lives and making land productive again takes time and effort. Fruit trees and gardens have suffered causing concern for food security of families and communities who rely on their farms and gardens for their livelihoods.
Ruta continued.“We didn’t prepare. We didn’t know how to prepare”, highlighting the need for communities to take practical steps to reduce the potential impact of a disaster.
Initiatives have been set up to tackle this important issue – one of which is encouraging households to preserve their food in times of plenty, and especially before a disaster strikes.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with generous funding from the European Union (EU) and in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has set out to provide Food Preservation Training to six communities throughout Vanuatu – one in each province.
From Sola, in the northernmost part of Vanuatu down to Erromango, one of the southernmost islands, communities now have the knowledge and skills to use new technologies of food preservation. Furthermore, their own traditional methods of food preservation have been strengthened and encouraged by corporate sharing and story-telling.
Thanks to the training Ruta received, she knows how to build and use a solar dryer to preserve her surplus fruit & vegetables, as well as how to safely store and package her dried food for home consumption and income generation. Other participants also commented. “I learnt lots of things I learnt that there is a way to preserve food in times of disaster. I think that it is really important for me and my family.”
During the training, Ruta also learnt about nutrition and food safety and hygiene – giving her the tools and knowledge to help improve her family’s health both before and after a disaster. She is excited about what she has learnt, and about how it can help her be more prepared for a disaster: “Now, after this training, I think a lot about preparation. We must take action now.”
She has also become a strong advocate for food preservation: “I have learnt how to preserve food and now I want to go share what I have learnt with my family and with my community”
After attending a training near them in Erromango, Sola, Santo, and Malekula, over 100 women have now become advocates like Ruta, better able to care for their families needs, and able to share this life-changing information with their wider communities.
About European Union
The European Union with its Member States is a leading global donor of humanitarian aid. Through the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), the EU helps over 120 million victims of conflict and disasters every year.
About Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
DARD aims to build an agriculture sector that is robust and competitive, one that contributes to improved economic growth and trading opportunities, food security, reduction of poverty, and improved livelihoods ensuring also that the benefits derived are equally distributed between the rural and urban populations.