Crop Based Solutions to Enhance Climate Resilience
23 November 2020
A three-day training held at the University of the South Pacific, Alafua Campus with the School of Agriculture and Food Technology started on Monday this week.
The training is expected to enhance climate resilience within 8 villages in the Matautu District, and Taga Village of Savai’i, through implementing crop-based solutions.
It follows a Training Needs Analysis conducted earlier this year in February, which identified the need to enhance food security and well-being with these communities.
Dr. Joeli, USP Alafua Campus Director said that: “The EU is committed to supporting climate change adaptation in the Pacific and works closely with USP to deliver concrete results at community level through delivery of practical capacity building activities;”
“The PACRES Project seeks to build an integrated approach to address climate change and disaster risk management in the Pacific-ACP region, and we are very appreciative of the support from local partners such as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment who are in direct dialogue with communities participating in the training.”
Acting Head of SAFT, Dr. Diarra said: “USP SAFT provides training opportunities that are aimed at developing capacity to practically enhance climate resilience through the implementation of intensive crop-based cropping systems”
Trainer and SAFT Lecturer, Mr. Faumui Falaniko Amosa stated further that: “The training is designed to emphasise the use of climate-resilient crops for sustainable production using intensive cropping systems that will increase yield per unit area of land;”
“Moreover, we promote the enhancing of landscape, and the cultivation of lands around the family homes, and those left to long-term fallow without other crops other than coconuts;”
“At the end of the training, we hope that our trainees will approach crops that they prefer to eat through the lens of climate-resilient cropping and use more legume crops-base farming systems e.g. after taro is harvested, to enhance sustainability. We are also equipping trainees with farming gear to assist with farming activities on their return to Savai’i.”
The training ends Wednesday 23 September.
The EU Intra-ACP GCCA+ PACRES Project is jointly delivered by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the Pacific Community (SPc), the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and USP.
For further information on the Intra-ACP GCCA+PACRES Project, contact Karen Komiti at karen.komiti@usp.ac.fj