Our climate change

@ Kiwa Initiative

This Mother Earth Day the Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network POLFN in Fiji, Nauru, Solomon Islands and Tonga urge farmers in the Pacific to be mindful of what they put into their soil.

Organic farming practices discourage burning and promote the return of plant residues to the soil, which helps to feed soil organisms and create Soil Organic Matter (SOM). SOM increases the soil's capacity to store nutrients and improves soil physical properties such as structure, permeability, moisture holding and drainage, and aeration, which are important for plant growth.

Feeding activities of larger soil organisms such as earthworms help to re-distribute organic residues in the soil through their channelling activities as well as increase aeration and drainage through their burrowing activities.Organic farming practices such as retaining residues, just like in a natural forest, helps to activate soil organisms and their interactions, which enhance soil processes that maintain or restore soil productivity. 

@ Poetcom

In Tonga, the team of the Kiwa regional #POLFN project has been conducting #assessments and surveys to analyze the specific needs of local farmers in the new learning farm centers.

Understanding their contexts, capacities, and natural loads increases the quality and relevance of learning processes and material.

Three assessments were conducted to measure the most significant criteria, such as:

• #TAPE Tool for Agroecological Performance Evaluation
• Socioeconomic components
• Farm carbon footprint and land utilization

This insightful data promotes #agricultural #sustainability and #farmer #resilience.

Keep an eye out! On Tuesday, August 8th, Tonga's learning farm centers will be launched.

The assessments were enabled thanks to a close collaboration between POETCom, The Tongan Government, the Tonga National Youth Congress and the Kiwa Initiative.

To learn more, watch the video: https://lnkd.in/g3tS-Z8x

@ SPC

The Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network (POLFN), launched its very first Organic Learning Farms Centres in Fiji, with two farms demonstrations projects:

• the Mudrenicagi Farm in Bua Province,
• the Navuso Farm in the Rewa Province.

How will these learning centres help Pacific farmers ?

The benefits of organic and agroecological methods in the context of the Pacific will be explained with concrete advices and new techniques. The centers will also illustrate the benefits and co-benefits of these practices in order to improve soil and water quality, to protect biodiversity, and to avoid artificial fertilizers.

These centers will enhance the transition from current farming to sustainable farming. The Kiwa Initiative is proud to enable this new collaboration along with its partners SPC and the fijian government, a major step to promote a major agroecological transformation in Pacific Island states.

Learn more in this article: https://www.spc.int/updates/news/media-release/2023/07/launch-of-organic-learning-farm-centres-provides-major-boost-for

@ Poetcom

Learning exchanges continue within our first regional project, Kiwa Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network POLFN!

During the month of April, the Kiwa POLFN team visited the Teitei Taveuni group of farmers based in the garden island of Fiji, Taveuni. This meeting was the opportunity to learn more about sustainable practices, organic and agroecological agriculture programs and projects.

Teitei Taveuni is an active network of farmers that are continuously researching and adapting farming practices on 10 demonstration farms. Over time, the project team has grown and the members are now experts in their fields.

While building a sense of community among farmers, this visit is achieving a fundamental step in the project’s overall philosophy: Farmers getting inspired from complementary practices ultimately become more resilient.

@ Kiwa Initiative

On this International Day of Forests, the Kiwa #POLFN regional project participated in an event organized in Fiji to promote #Agroforestry.

This practice, that combines trees, crops and/or animals on the same agricultural plot and allows a better use of resources and greater biological diversity, is one of technologies that the farms selected in the POLFN project will use in #Fiji, #Nauru, #Tonga and the #Solomon islands."

Organic agriculture can contribute to the health of trees by promoting soil health and biodiversity, reducing the use of synthetic chemicals and pesticides, and enhancing nutrient cycling.Trees rely on healthy soil to grow and thrive, and organic agriculture practices focus on building soil health by using natural soil amendments such as compost and cover crops. These practices can improve soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability, which can promote healthy tree growth and reduce the risk of diseases and pests."

Credit: Pacific Community

@ Kiwa Initiative

The purpose of this call launched by the Pacific Community and Organic Pasifika is to provide a list of potential organic learning farms in Fiji, Nauru, Tonga and the Solomon Islands. 

Two organic learning farms are to be set up in each country to provide support and coordinate training with other farmers, as farm advisors, in partnership with the SPC and Organic Pasifika.

Closing date: 7th October 2022.

CEOI details can be found here: https://bit.ly/3Sgcr9p

This call is part of the deployment of our Kiwa POLFN project.

This regional project aims to develop organic farming systems for food security, climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation to build resilience in smallholder farmers.

The main objectives of the project are to:

• Increase the area of sustainably managed land through Nature-based Solutions (agroecology and agroforestry).
• Ensure changes in agricultural practices for food security through economic incentives. Farms and associated food networks will be monitored.
• Promote regional cooperation and experience sharing among farmers and communities in Pacific Islands countries and territories.

@ Poetcom

The Kiwa POLFN regional project "Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network" has launched its official organic learning farms in Tonga. The farms are located in Mahuleva and Ovava, Tonga.

Organic farming solves significant challenges that contribute to community resilience, such as:

• The production of healthy food,
• The development of local production and resources,
• The conservation of land resources,
• The fight against climate change.

Thanks to agroecological practices that reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, ecosystems are protected, the soil is fertile, making agriculture more robust/sustainable and preserving water quality.

Well done to all the teams involved, whether farmers, POETCom members and every partner in charge of implementing this project.

@ Kiwa Initiative

Let us introduce the project manager of the Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network – POLFN - Mr. Timoci Nakalevu. He is leading the very first Kiwa Initiative’s regional project since June 2021.

Timoci is part of the Organic Pasifika organization based in Fiji. With his team and colleagues from the Pacific Community - SPC, they are working to implement the POLFN project, requiring collaboration between various actors located in Fiji, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Tonga, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna.

The goal of this project is the development of organic farming systems for food security, climate change adaptation, and biodiversity conservation. It’s also strengthening the resilience of smallholder producers through the establishment of a reliable network of Organic Learning Farms (OLFs).

@ Poetcom

The POLFN network is growing!

We are pleased that TNYC – Tonga National Youth Congress - a stakeholder of the POLFN project as a beneficiary country, selected 2 additional organic farms to be included in the Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network project.

The selection of networked farms in each country is a major step for this four-year program. In the end, there should be at least one farm in every country of the regional project including Fiji, Nauru, Solomon Islands and Tonga.

As part of the Kiwa Initiative, project leaders are committed to ensuring that the implementation of their regional project is aligned with national policies to ensure that it meets a defined need and a committed approach.

@ Kiwa Initiative

Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network (POLFN) team is in the Solomon Star News. The article is about the Tools for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), a training conducted with organic farmers at Kastom Gaden Association in Solomon islands.

@ Kiwa Initiative

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Pacific-Community-SPC are hosting a #side-event on agroecological transition on March 8 during #PAWF Pacific Week of Agriculture in Fiji.

Timoci Nakavelu, the project manager of our regional Kiwa #POLFN project, will speak about the exchange of experiences with the PROTEGE project as a concrete illustration of regional #cooperation, and present the implementation of a network of #agroecological demonstration farms in the ##Pacific region.

@ Kiwa Initiative

The Kiwa Initiative launches its Pacific Organic Learning Farm Network project

Implemented by SPC, the Pacific Organic Learning Farm Network project aims to develop organic farming systems that promote food security, biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation. The mission of this project? To build climate resilience among small-holder producers in Fiji, Nauru, the Solomon Islands,Tonga and and beyond. This is a network of organic learning farms dedicated to becoming true educational centers for communities.

From this initial network of learning farms, the mission of this regional project is to share best methods and technologies in agroforestry, agroecology and organic farming production thus greatly increasing the area of land sustainably managed through these Nature-based Solutions.

@ Kiwa Initiative

On February 9th, the newly established Kiwa Initiative Pacific Organic Learning Farm Network (POLFN) team participated in its first training with members of the PROTEGE* network during a videoconference. The focus of this working session was on the establishment and management of learning farms. It was an opportunity to share the experiences of PROTEGE members located in the French territories in the Pacific. This organic learning farms network created by the Pacific Community (SPC) is designed to demonstrate the benefits of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in agroecology and agroforestry.

Increasing access to organic farming methods and technologies to address food security, climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation are the main objectives of the Kiwa Initiative Pacific Organic Learning Farm Network (POLFN). This €4.6 million project aims to meet the needs of small-scale farmers in Fiji, Nauru, Tonga and Solomon Islands, in cooperation with Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia and New Caledonia.

*PROTEGE is funded by the European Union under the 11th European Development Fund (FED) and implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP). For more information about PROTEGE visit: https://protege.spc.int/en

@ Kiwa Initiative

REGIONAL COOPERATION IN ACTION!

This week, the PROTEGE program welcomes in New Caledonia 12 members of our first regional Kiwa POLFN (Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network) project team from Fiji, Nauru, Solomon Islands and Tonga.

This regional meeting between the POLFN delegation and farmers from New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia, will provide an opportunity to share technical expertise in order to encourage agroecological transition in the Pacific.

The PROTEGE program, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC), trought its thematic of "Agriculture and Forestry", aims to support the agro-ecological transition of the Pacific French overseas territories for an agriculture, especially organic, adapted to climate change and respectful of biodiversity.

The first regional Kiwa Initiative POLFN project, implemented by POETCom, aims to develop organic farming systems for food security, climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation to build resilience of smallholder farmers in Fiji, Nauru, Tonga and the Solomon Islands.

The main objectives of the project are:

• To increase the area of land in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories that is sustainably managed through Nature-based Solutions (agroecology and agroforestry).
• To ensure changes in agricultural practices for food security through economic incentives. Monitoring will be implemented in farms and associated food networks.
• Promote regional cooperation and experience sharing between farmers and communities in the Pacific.

A Call for expressions of Interest is currently open until October 7 to identify a list of potential educational farms in Fiji, Nauru, Tonga and Solomon Islands. Two organic teaching farms are to be established in each country to provide support and coordinate training with other farmers as farm advisors in partnership with SPC and POETCom.

The participation of the English-speaking team of the Kiwa POLFN project in this workshop is a very good example of regional cooperation between Pacific island Countries and French Territories. A translation of the exchanges between the two languages (English and French) has been planned to facilitate the discussions.

During the international exhibition "Tech & Bio" which will be held on October 7th and 8th in La Foa, a common stand will be held to present the actions implemented by SPC in the framework of the PROTEGE project and the regional Kiwa project.

Click here to watch the French TV news of 04/10 broadcasted on NC1ere https://bit.ly/3EhzNrr (starting at 5min45)

@ Kiwa Initiative

The Organic Learning Farms Network is coming to life in the field. Members of the POLFN project team had been on the road from August 3 to 13 with their counterparts in Tonga.

It was with great pleasure that the Pacific Organic Farms Network project team, represented by project leader Timoci Nakalevu and members Emosi Cagi, Fuatino Fatiaki and Sandhya Devi accompanied by Drew Havea, Kiwa's POLFN National Project Coordinator for Tonga went on a field trip to the Kingdom of Tonga.

Understanding the farm assessment methodology

One of the objectives of the trip was to facilitate workshops from August 3 to 5 on the Tool for Agroecological Performance Evaluation (TAPE), which will be used to monitor and evaluate the progress of each learning farm in the POLFN network.

Workshops for the different actors of the network

Participants in these workshops came from Fiji and Tonga, with representatives from Solomon Islands and Nauru also able to participate virtually. Participants include representatives from the government, ministry of agriculture, forestry, health, youth, women and farmers of Tonga.

Potential farm visits

The rest of the stay aimed, for the project team, to meet with local staff and visit some potential farms in Tongatapu and Vavau.

Tonga is one of the four sites in the Kiwa network of organic educational farms (Fiji, Nauru, Solomon Islands and Tonga).

@ Kiwa Initiative

Our Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network (POLFN) is in Nauru this week introducing the Tools for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) to local farmers. The team visited the Buada Farm, seeing methods used for best productivity and organic compost.

Also known as ‘ecological agriculture’, agroecology is a way of farming and managing crops, livestock, forests, fisheries that is viable, long-lasting, resilient to climate change, and offers various other environmental, social and cultural benefits such as addressing food and water scarcity, and poverty.

@ Poetcom

We are proud to announce the official launch of the Solomon Islands Organic Learning Farms, as part of the Kiwa #POLFN project.

These farms are set to make a significant impact on sustainable agriculture, enhancing innovative agroecological practices to boost ecosystem resilience, but also improve the well-being of our communities:
📍 Zai Na Tina Farm, in Honiara
📍 Gwa’unafiu Farm, in Malaita

The launch event took place at the Kastom Gaden Association farm, on Guadalcanal Island, with our dedicated Kiwa POLFN Team. We thank all the partners who have joined, like Mr. Lottie Vaisakavea, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and Ms. Florence Rahiria, Deputy Director of the Pacific Community (SPC) Land Resources Division. We're also thrilled to have the support of local farmers, high school students, and representatives from neighboring communities.

This ground-breaking initiative implemented by the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community at the Pacific Community-SPC pushes for traditional methods of farming intertwined agroecological approaches to promote organic practices and fostering knowledge exchange among small-holder farmers in the Solomon Islands.

@ Kiwa Initiative

Mrs. Sashi Kiran, Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation in the Fijian Government at the National Federation Party in Fiji visited the Organic Learning Farm in Tonga. 

Drew Havea, board member of POETCOM has been providing guidance to the project, aiming at training women and youth in sustainable organic food systems to improve nutrition diversity.