The Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD) food security research team joined the 8th Pacific Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services meeting in Nadi this week.
The Pacific Week of Agriculture and Forestry (PWAF) which was hosted in Nadi, Fiji provided an opportunity for Pacific partners to collaborate on ways to transform Pacific agriculture and forestry through research collaborations to achieve more resilient and sustainable practices.
The University of the South Pacific (USP) PaCE-SD research team was invited to participate in such an important event due to its extensive research in the areas of Food Security, Climate Change, and Disaster Resilience.
The PaCE-SD research team discussed how natural disasters affected 489 fishing and farming households in Vanua Levu, Fiji, during a side event held during the week, as part of the side events that proposed themes such as pandemics, climate change, natural resource security, transforming agriculture and security through science and technology, and creating a circular green economy for agriculture and forestry.
“The event is important because it gives us an opportunity to share best practices with other Pacific vuvale (family), and, how best we can contribute to sustainable development in the areas of agriculture and forestry, especially with the devastating impacts of climate change, cyclones, and droughts,” said Filipe Veisa, who is our Postgraduate Coordinator at PaCE-SD and a PhD Candidate.
The meeting brought together heads of the region’s agriculture and forestry ministries for their first in-person meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.
“It was very interesting and insightful in the sense that it has enlightened me personally and professionally in my master’s research and to be updated with recent research that is currently being undertaken in Fiji and around the Pacific,” said Anamaria Tagicakiverata, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Climate Change at PaCE-SD.
“The best thing about it is networking, I got to know the SPC staff and have met individuals from prominent organisations such as Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), The Australian National University (ANU), The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and University of New Caledonia (UNC). Being aware of what these prominent organizations are doing for farmers, agriculture, and the economy of Fiji and the Pacific.”
The meeting’s theme was Growing Together: Transforming Pacific Agriculture and Forestry.
The events of the week will also look ahead to a shared Pacific future of resilience, innovation, and long-term green growth.
PaCE-SD maintains partnerships with a variety of local, regional, and international organisations that contribute to its success as a regional leader in teaching and research on sustainable development and climate change.
