ACCLIMAT: Agroforestry for climate change resilience and food self-sufficiency

Climate change poses major threats to New Caledonia’s food security, particularly through more frequent extreme weather events (such as droughts, floods, and cyclones) that undermine agricultural production. These challenges are further compounded by a difficult political context following the “2024 riots”, which have deepened social inequalities.

This project aims to strengthen the food autonomy and climate resilience of New Caledonian territories through the development of syntropic agroforestry (high-density) systems. It will serve as a pilot model at the family or tribe level, with the vision of being scaled up and supported by local institutions to create long-term impact. 

General objective

To contribute to food self-sufficiency and the resilience of New Caledonian territories in the face of climate change through the development of agroforestry.

The project aims to restore and transform degraded agricultural land into resilient agroforestry systems, increasing local plant and animal biodiversity, while enhancing food autonomy (reducing dependence on imported fertilizers) and food security for local tribal communities.

It also seeks to promote the dissemination of a Nature-based Solution — agroforestry — to inspire a shift in current agricultural practices towards approaches that foster local biodiversity without harming it and strengthen resilience to climate change.

Finally, the ACCLIMAT project is about the creation of five demonstration farms.
Agroforestry projects are agricultural initiatives planned to span at least 20 years.
Once the agroforestry system is established, it will support the development of vegetable gardens, subsistence crops, or fruit orchards, which can be cultivated in the following years.

The goal is to train project participants and achieve their full autonomy, fostering technical skills that can be passed on locally through the mentoring system described above, while also serving as inspiration for other agricultural projects —particularly in the challenging economic context currently faced by New Caledonia.

Project objectives

• Objective 1: Enhance the climate resilience and biodiversity through 5 agricultural demonstration plots by providing both technical and material support for the implementation of agroforestry systems;
• Objective 2: Empower local project leaders by strengthening their technical skills in agroforestry and reinforcing the network of agroforestry focal points at local and regional levels;
• Objective 3: Improve and disseminate technical knowledge on agroforestry practices to both the farming community and the wider public.

Social inclusion and gender equity

Regarding the issue of reducing gender-based discrimination, AGIR plans to implement solutions throughout the project to ensure the participation of both women and men, as well as young people, in every activity.

Agricultural project holders are often represented solely by men as the main farmers. However, it cannot be denied that within a household, women play a major role, even if their contribution often remains in the background. If applicable, project holders are represented by couples working together on their initiative.

During collective work sessions and training activities, we aim to promote gender balance.
If this does not occur naturally, we will reach out to local women’s associations and youth groups from nearby communities to encourage their participation, including through dedicated sessions if necessary.