Agroforestry In Tonga

Tuesday 5 August 2014, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Tonga –‘I’m totally convinced by the concept of agroforestry and I want similar training for all extension officers in my ministry.’

These were the sentiments expressed by the Chief Executive Officer of Tonga’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fisheries (MAFFF), Mrs Losaline Ma’asi, who participated in a two-day (30^th & 31^st July) agroforestry training conducted by SPC at Hango Agricultural College in Eua, Tonga.

‘I supported this training and personally got involved, as I knew we could all benefit from it and gain knowledge and skills that could make a difference in our lives and those of the clients we serve.

‘Understanding the concepts and benefits of agroforestry can help the participants to utilise locally available food crops, tree species and livestock to develop a good farming system,’ Mrs Ma’asi explained.

She noted that agroforestry has been in use for decades and there have been trials of various systems in order to identify ones that are appropriate in different environments and locations in Tonga.

Mrs Ma’asi also mentioned that she will work very closely with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in organising similar training for MAFFF extension staff based in Tongatapu and Vava'u.

More than fifty participants, comprising final year students and teachers from Hango Agriculture College, farmers from the USAID Climate Change Pilot Project in Houma, MAFFF staff, and members of the Petani Women’s Food Security and Climate Change Project attended the training, which was conducted by two SPC staff: Cenon Padolina and Vinesh Prasad.

Established in 1968, Hango Agriculture College began by training farmers who were involved in crop and livestock farming but later it was transformed into a diploma-level agricultural institute for students who wanted to pursue a career in the agriculture sector.

The college, which is fully accredited by the University of the South Pacific, also enrols students from Vanuatu; they make up 40% of the student population.

The Sustainable Resource Management Programme of SPC's Land Resources Division has financially and technically supported the college to establish agroforestry demonstration plots on a twenty-acre site within the college area and teach students about sustainable farming systems and the skills they need for agroforestry, which is now part of the curriculum. SPC has pledged to continue its support in providing teaching assistance and practical expertise to the college.

The agroforestry training is part of the initiative entitled Enhanced Climate Change Resilience of Food Production Systems in Pacific Island Countries and Territories, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The project harnesses an innovative partnership between two SPC divisions, the Applied Geoscience and Technology Division and the Land Resources Division.

SPC and USAID, in collaboration with partner agencies, are supporting the governments of six Pacific Island countries – Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu – in their efforts to tackle the adverse effects of climate change on food production.

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SPC runs agroforestry training in Vanuatu

One of the participants using the marcotting technique on a breadfruit tree

A two-day agroforestry workshop was recently organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Vanuatu with the main objective of enhancing the knowledge and skills of the participants in the areas of nursery design and management, seeds and seedling production, and plant propagation.

Twenty participants from the Department of Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock and the Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre (VARTC) attended the workshop, which was held at the premises of VARTC in Luganville, Espirito Santo.

The agroforestry training is part of the initiative entitled Enhanced climate change resilience of food production systems in Pacific Island countries and territories, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

According to the country coordinator of the project, Romone Luke, this training has enabled him and his fellow participants to acquire the necessary basic knowledge and skills to be able to start making improvements to their current farming practices following the agroforestry concept, which will contribute to the overall goal of achieving food and nutritional security, biodiversity conservation, improvement of soil health and secured incomes for families and communities.

‘Under the USAID project, we are developing an agroforestry demonstration farm on the island of Uraparapara, located near Sola Island, to show our communities how they can optimise the productivity of their farm lots. The knowledge and skills gained from this training will help us a lot in making our project a success,’ said Mr Luke.

'The participants,' he added, 'have now realised the importance of selecting good planting materials and properly maintaining a nursery.'

Mr Luke elaborated. 'We aim to spread agroforestry farming practices all over Vanuatu, with the help of line ministries such as forestry, livestock, agriculture and fisheries. This is to bring about an integrated farming approach that provides more options to farmers. It will also show that all these sectors contribute to improving the livelihood of farmers.'

The project harnesses an innovative partnership between two SPC divisions, the Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (AGTD) and the Land Resources Division (LRD).

AGTD is providing geographic information systems data to LRD, enabling more accurate and informed implementation of climate change resilience activities on the ground.

SPC and USAID, in collaboration with partner agencies, are supporting the governments of six Pacific countries – Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu – in their efforts to tackle the adverse effects of climate change on food production.

The support includes updating vegetation and land cover maps at the national level, and working with local communities to implement appropriate adaptation measures to build their resilience to climate change.

SPC’s Cenon Padolina and Vinesh Prasad conducted the two-day training on agroforestry in Vanuatu.

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Better access to information will assist Pacific growers

A three-day workshop on strengthening and disseminating value chain-related information, skills, and approaches in the Pacific Islands is being organised in Fiji by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in collaboration with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA).

Acknowledging the support of CTA and the European Union, the Acting Deputy Director of the SPC Land Resource Division, Sairusi Bulai, highlighted the importance of sharing information and knowledge for greater impact.

‘It is only when we work together collaboratively and in true partnership that we will be able to start making positive changes for our people,’ he said. 

‘This is especially important for us in the Pacific because of the many challenges that we face as small island countries.’

Mr Bulai added the initiative is in line with SPC’s greater emphasis on cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approaches in providing its services.

‘During last year’s workshop on value chains, which we also organised with the support of CTA and the EU, it became apparent that access to more and better information on the subject is needed for Pacific to benefit from such a process.’ 

Therefore, he added, the main objective of this workshop will be to review and provide feedback to the draft guide developed by Kokosiga Pacific, led by Dr Andrew McGregor to facilitate the better understanding of value chain.

‘This guide can be effectively used to help improve small businesses in the Pacific,’ he said.

Samson Vilvil Fare of CTA shared similar sentiments, and he said that CTA’s key priorities are strengthening agricultural and rural development policy processes, improving agricultural value chains and access to markets for small-scale producers, and enhancing information, communication and knowledge management capacities.

‘Therefore, the SPC CTA value chain project involves a value chains portal providing access to materials to facilitate the exchange of information between agencies as well as improved access to information by farmers and the private sector,’ said Mr Fare.

He added that the project also provides a set of tools that could be used to analyse the performance of Pacific Island value chains and identify steps to be taken to make those chains more efficient and raise awareness among value chain actors in the region of the potential benefits of multi-stakeholder consultation.

Mr Fare also emphasised the ownership of the value chain tools, saying that Pacific Islanders must own the tools developed for value chains on specific commodities.

The meeting will discuss and identify the way forward for the project via feedback from 24 participants from 7 countries in the region.

Follow me on Twitter: @Vineshfiji.

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Balanced forest policies and strategies are needed for sustainable development

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), in collaboration with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), organised an Executive Forest Policy course in Nadi, Fiji recently.

While officially opening the course, Fiji’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests, Lieutenant Colonel Inia Seruiratu said that the course provides an excellent opportunity for senior government officials in the region to enhance their policy analysis capability through their in-depth understanding of critical economic, social and environmental issues at the national, regional and global levels.

‘It is common knowledge that climate change is already causing dramatic changes globally, particularly in the small island states, including in the Pacific, which are considered to be some of the most vulnerable places on earth to the adverse effects of climate change,’ Mr Seruiratu said.

‘In fact, climate change is recognised as the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and well-being of the peoples of the Pacific.’

He added that the important role of forests in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration and carbon sink is well recognised.

‘In addition, forests will be important in ensuring that our Pacific communities are able to adapt to the impacts of climate change because of the many services and products they contribute to our well-being,’ Mr Seruiratu said.

However, he added, this can only be achieved if our forests are managed in a sustainable manner.

‘The Government of Fiji recognises the potential of forestry as a major potential foreign exchange earner that can also provide rural employment, regular income and infrastructure development that promote rural stability towards improving rural living standards.

‘Thus, it is the mandate of my ministry to ensure that these valuable resources are developed and managed to their optimal potential for the benefit of all stakeholders, in a sustainable way.’

Minister Seruiratu further mentioned that the major challenge is how to mainstream sound forest policies into the sustainable development strategies of the country, taking into account demands for economic development and the social and environmental needs of growing populations.

He therefore urged all the participants to take advantage of the opportunity and participate actively in the discussion and share experiences to help their countries and also the region to develop broad-based practical and implementable policies that will effectively support efforts to achieve the goal of sustainable management of the region’s forest resources.

‘We need to be innovative in our ideas and come up with strategies that are going to ensure a very balanced approach to our development. I am hoping that through this course, you will be able to broaden your knowledge to help you come up with new ideas and strategies towards integrating forestry into your overall national sustainable development strategies,’ Mr Seruiratu said.

Minister Seruiratu also challenged the participants to focus not only on issues facing our region but also opportunities that are present to come up with better solutions.

‘It’s time that officials in both the agriculture and forestry ministries start to focus beyond the problems and come up with solutions that will not only benefit the current generation but future generations as well.’

The 7^th forest policy course was supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (LEAF), the European Forest Institute (EFI), the EU/FAO Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade programme (EU/FAO FLEGT), and the Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI).

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N.B    vulnerability of Pacific agriculture and forestry to climate change

LRD Director speaks on International Day of Forest.

Students going through SPC booth in Suva.

In a message to commemorate the International Day of Forests on 21 March, Inoke Ratukalou, Director of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Land Resources Division, said that the day, which aims to celebrate and raise awareness on the importance of all types of forests as well as trees outside forests, had particular importance for the Pacific region.

With deforestation contributing 12%–18% of the world’s carbon emissions, Mr Ratukalou emphasised that forests play a critical role in climate change – which poses an especially direct and substantial threat to the Pacific.

‘Forests and trees also play a significant role in the economic, social, environmental and cultural development of the people in the Pacific,’ he explained.

About 31% of the world’s total land area is covered by forests. Forests and trees combat land degradation and desertification by stabilising soils, reducing water and wind erosion and maintaining nutrient cycling in soils. Forests are home to over 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. They also contribute to the balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity in the air.

‘Forests constitute the natural capital and inheritance of the present and future generations of Pacific Islanders. Unfortunately, these valuable resources have been under continuous threat by destructive human activities associated with infrastructure development, mining, agricultural clearing and unsustainable logging, ‘Mr Ratukalou said.

He added that most of the small island countries in the region have lost significant forest cover, and the rehabilitation of the resulting degraded lands is a major concern. Smaller and smaller areas of forests are being relied upon to provide the required services and products for the well-being of a growing population, and this has negative consequences for the resilience of communities in adapting to climate change and other changes.

Forests and trees are important in the well-being of our communities, but there is a lack of awareness on their vital role in our lives here in the Pacific.

Mr Ratukalou explained that the goal of the International Day of Forests, which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, was to raise awareness on this important issue. ‘It is important that maximum efforts by all countries and their peoples are directed towards ensuring that forests are managed and used in a sustainable manner,’ he said.

Tonga’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Fisheries, together with its Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, organised activities and public campaigns on the importance of forests and trees to commemorate the day.According to the Head of the Forestry Division, Tevita Faka’osi, these activities included radio talkback and television programmes to raise public awareness of the importance of forests and trees outside forests. Fiji’s Forestry Department commemorated the International Day of Forests with an event at Thurston Botanical Garden in Suva. The programme included planting of trees by children and exhibits by regional and non-governmental organisations.

SPC also had a display booth at the half-day event that was attended by secondary and primary school children from around Suva as well as the general public.

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Pacific to Celebrate International Day of Forest

International Day of Forest with the theme 'Celebrate our Forest' will be marked on 21st of March, this year.

This global celebration of forests provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests.

Forests cover one third of the Earth's land mass, performing vital functions around the world. Around 1.6 billion people - including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures - depend on forests for their livelihood.

Forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land, home to more than 80% of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. Forests also provide shelter, jobs and security for forest-dependent communities.

They play a key role in our battle in adapting to and mitigating climate change. Forests contribute to the balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity in the air. They protect watersheds, which supply 75% of freshwater worldwide.

Yet despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, we are destroying the very forests we need to survive. Global deforestation continues at an alarming rate - 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed annually.

Deforestation accounts for 12 to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

Some pics from International day Forest celebration in Fiji.

Students from Gospel High visiting SPC booth during International Day of Forest celebration in Fiji.

Vieuto Primary School students skim through SPC publications on IDF in Suva, Fiji.

World Agroforestry Congress - New Delhi India

This will be presented to World Congress on Wednesday at 3.00pm Indian Time.

Day One
10th February, 2014

Indian President Shri Pranb Mukherjee was the chief gues durring the inaugration of the congress.

The World Congress opened in the Vigyan Bhawan complex in New Delhi, with the President of India, the Honourable Shri Pranab Mukherjee, inaugurating proceedings from 12 midday, followed
by addresses from Cabinet members including Shri Sharad Pawar, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Dr M. Veerappa Moily, Minister of Environment and Forest and Shri Ashish Bahuguna, the Secretary of Agriculture.

The ground-breaking National Agroforestry Policy will be launched that morning. This is a unique innovation putting India first in the world to introduce such a policy. The policy was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday 6 February. The sector is currently affected by adverse policies, legal constraints, inadequate investments, weak markets and a dearth of institutional finance. The policy will enable farmers to reap the benefit of agroforestry. New farming approaches are needed to meet the demands of a growing world population for food, fodder, firewood and timber, against a backdrop
of shrinking land and water resources for agriculture and the threat of climate change.

The World Agroforestry Centre will be distributing copies of its new book Trees for Life, illustrating the impact of agroforestry on peoples’ lives, at its launch on Tuesday in the Kempinski Hotel After lunch the Congress moves into the South Asia Day plenary, with breakout sessions on agroforestry systems, income and environmental benefits, and then climate change, multifunctionality, livestock and fish systems.

Following Presidents activities, a panel discussion was held. Speakers of panel discussions
Dr Dina Nath Tiwari, Founder and Head of Utthan, Centre for Sustainable Development and Poverty Alleviation
Dr R S Paroda, Chairman, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences and Executive Secretary, Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutes
Prof. H P M Gunasena, Chairman, Coconut Research Institute, Lunuwila, Sri Lanka
Dr Rita Sharma, Secretary, National Advisory Council, Government of India:

Brakout Sessions followed:

Breakout Session 1
Theme: Agroforestry systems, income and environmental benefits
Theme Leader: PKR Nair

1.1 Policy on agroforestry and tree-based farming systems

Venue: Plenary hall
Venue: Hall 4
Venue: Hall 5
Venue: Hall 6

Chair: J S Samra and K B Thampi

Agroforestry research in Indonesia: where to go for the next two decades
Dede Rohadi
Mediating factors of agroforestry changes in Vietnam: implications for agroforestry development
Hoa Thi Nguyen
The role of agroforestry in newly allotted forest lands in tribal Odisha
Kamla Khanal
CAFNET – first effort in India to value ecosystem services from coffee-based agroforestry systems
Cheppudira Kushalappa
Agroforestry systems in China - a proposed classification for Chinese tropical agroforestry
Xiao Guo
Trees on private lands: a regulatory impact analysis in select states in India
Chetan Agarwal

1.2 Agroforestry for rural employment and income generation,

Chair: AK Singh and B Mohan Kumar

Tree-borne oil seed crops – a step towards building energy security in rural India
Balakrishna Gowda
Santalum yasi Seem. a vital agroforestry species for rural employment and livelihoods development in Fiji
Saurindra Narayan Goswami
Implementation of agroforestry for poverty alleviation and livelihood improvement in
the state of Tripura, India
Avinash M Kanfade
Role of agroforestry in poverty alleviation at Ghatail Upazilla of the Tangail District,
Bangladesh
Md. Wasiul Islam
Ensuring integrated timber and non-timber forest product marketing for improving rural livelihoods: lessons learnt from Indonesia
Muktasam Abdurrahman
Yamunanagar – a model of a symbiotic relationship between farmers and woodbased industries
Raj Kumar Sapra

1.3 Land reclamation: Bio-drainage and salinity control,

Chair: Gurbachan Singh and JC Dagar

Biodrainage: an ecofriendly agroforestry technique for controlling waterlogging, livelihood security and carbon sequestration
Jagdish Dagar
Rehabilitation of degraded sodic land through agroforestry and monoculture plantations
Kripal Singh
Biodrainage as successful models for combating water logging in canal commands
– some case studies
Rajbir Singh
Cultivation of intercrops inside biodrainage (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) vegetation under a waterlogged ecosystem in Odisha
Somnath Roy Chowdhury
Biodrainage for salinity control: myth or reality for the Indian monsoonal climate
P S Minhas
Potential of tree plantations for wastewater disposal: Long term use in Eucalyptus
R K Yadav

1.4 Drylands and agroforestry,

Chair: VN Sharda and B Venkateswarlu

Design and development of agroforestry systems in low rainfall regions of India for combating climate change

Murari Mohan Roy

Improving productivity of common grazing resources in hot arid region of India through participatory pasture development

Arun Misra

Livelihood diversification through agroforestry in semi-arid regions of India

Prasad JVNS

Cultivating resilient landscapes - opportunities for restoring degraded and vulnerable lands with agroforestry systems

Matilda Palm

Bamboo-based agroforestry for livelihood security and environmental protection in semi-arid regions of India

Sudhir P Ahlawat

Beyond the project cycle: ex-post assessment of agroforestry adoption and management in semi-arid Karnataka

James Brockington

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