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African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease that affects pigs and wild boars with a near 100 percent fatality rate. ASF is not transmissible to humans hence; it is not a direct human health concern. However, this alarming disease has economically impacted Asia with millions of pigs culled in China and Vietnam in an effort to control the disease. The threat of ASF reaching the Pacific is real despite...

The project Enhancing livelihoods and food security through fisheries with nearshore fish aggregating devices in the Pacific is supporting seven Pacific Island countries - Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. An inception workshop for the project was held in Nadi, Fiji (3-6 February) and brought together around 45 participants comprised of representatives of national fisheries agencies and fishers from countries under the project, as well as project...

The global trend of urbanization is also happening in the Solomon Islands.  According to some sources, cities and towns such as Honiara, Auki, Gizo and Noro now host two-thirds of all urban Solomon Islanders. Rapid and unplanned urban sprawling in the surrounding rural areas is commonly depleting natural resources, including arable land, and eroding biodiversity, thereby contributing to the unsustainability of current urbanization trend, and increasing the vulnerability to shocks. To raise...

Twenty-two technicians from the various government ministries, UN agencies and other organizations attended an awareness workshop, which introduced the Farm Field Schools School (FFS) approach. The FFS approach is an innovative, participatory and interactive learning approach that emphasizes problem solving and discovery based learning. FFS aims to build farmers’ capacity to analyse their production systems, identify problems, test possible solutions, and eventually encourage the participants to adopt the practices most suitable...

The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) led a provincial Drought Early Action Formulation Workshop in Sigatoka in late October 2019. The workshop gathered national institutions, development partners as well as farmers and community representatives to formulate and endorse Early Actions for the crop, livestock, aquaculture and Forestry Sectors as well as other agriculture-related livelihoods. The workshop was supported by the Pro-Resilient Fiji project which is funded...

Small-scale fishing communities in Tokelau actively took part in hands-on training to increase their awareness and knowledge in sea safety. This programme which was led by the Tokelau Departments of Transport and Fisheries to discuss best practices and provide training to Aumaga (men’s groups), women’s groups and youth. The programme is supported by FAO, Maritime New Zealand, World Fisheries Trust and ICON Ltd and was carried out on all three atolls...

Undergraduate students from from the University of New South Wales, Australia visited the FAO Subregional office while on a study tour to learn about food systems and the role of FAO in Samoa. Assistant FAO Representative, Mr Philip Tuivavalagi welcomed the students and explained the long-term commitment FAO has to mainstreaming food security and nutrition. “Achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO's efforts – to make sure...

A Training of trainers (TOT) workshop on improving market linkages through Contract Farming Operations was held on October 22 2019 in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Sixteen participants from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock – including extension officers from Guadalcanal, Malaita and Temotu provinces; field officers of Kostom Garden Association and other stakeholders actively participated. This TOT training workshop was facilitated by the FAO agribusiness and food system specialist Mr. Shukrullah Sherzad. "The idea...

The Integrated Forest Management (IFM) Project in the Solomon Islands is moving into the next phase with an inception workshop with provincial government heads and relevant agencies of Malaita Province which was held in Auki recently. Undersecretary Technical, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Chanel Iroi said. “The objective of the inception workshop is basically to facilitate the process, to provide information within the project to all relevant...

Three beneficiaries in Malaita in Solomon Islands received much needed tools and equipment recently from Kastom Garden Association. The three recipients, Kinitolo Farmers Association, Aligegeo Provincial Secondary School and Kwao Community Farm have expressed gratitude in receiving basic tools and equipment and for being selected to participate in a project which is funded by FAO. The tools and equipment are part of a project to increase the efficiency of root and...