Project news
Taro ’ITE Programme: taro fields at the heart of pollution control and resilience
13 December 2025
© Kiwa Initiative
Launched in 2022 through a collaboration between a Polynesian student, Raihau Tama, and committed researchers, the Kiwa Taro ’ITE programme highlights the key role of irrigated taro fields in retaining phytosanitary pollutants. The research shows that these pollutants are stored in the taro’s fine roots, without affecting the tuber, which remains safe for consumption.
Beyond pollution control, the programme sheds light on the multiple services provided by taro fields: soil protection, wetland biodiversity, local job creation, and contributions to food self-sufficiency.
The Kiwa Taro’ITE launches a series on the superpowers of taro
16 January 2026
© Kiwa Initiative
The project is launching a new educational series dedicated to the superpowers of taro, bringing together science, archaeology and traditional knowledge. The first episode focuses on irrigated taro fields as natural sediment traps.
During heavy rainfall, water loaded with soil and silt flows through taro fields, where currents slow down. Suspended particles settle and are trapped by taro roots and the field beds. Studies conducted in the Pacific show that these traditional agricultural systems can retain up to 80–90% of sediments before they reach rivers and lagoons. Archaeology confirms this role, with thick layers of sediments accumulated beneath ancient taro fields over centuries.
The result is healthier lagoons, more resilient coral reefs and better-protected fisheries, while agricultural soils are naturally enriched at the same time. This provides a clear illustration of how ancestral practices function as true ecological infrastructures, fully aligned with nature-based approaches supported by the Kiwa Initiative.
The series will continue with a next episode on phytoremediation, showing how taro can also help filter certain pollutants.
Theme
co-benefits
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Project nameTaro ‘ITE : Establishment of an Experimental Taro Plantation
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Project LeadTahitian Historical Society
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Project StartAugust 2025
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Estimated termMarch 2027
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Amount of funding€ 76,323
Project locations
The Taro ‘ITE project aims to restore an old taro field on the Tahitian Historical Society’s farm in Moorea. It seeks to demonstrate the nature-based benefits of irrigated taro systems: reducing sediment runoff into the lagoon, preserving wetland areas, controlling invasive species, and improving water quality. The project also promotes food self-sufficiency for low-income families and the transmission of traditional knowledge. Over 20 months, it will engage farmers, young people from priority neighborhoods, institutions, and research centers, creating a model for community-driven, sustainable agriculture that strengthens ecological resilience and social cohesion in the face of climate change.
The Taro ‘ITE project’s overarching goal is to rehabilitate an old taro field on the Tahitian Historical Society’s farm in Moorea, transforming it into a pilot site for demonstration and training. This initiative applies a nature-based solution approach, inspired by traditional agricultural practices, to address modern challenges such as climate change, soil erosion, and food security.
The approach focuses on restoring the taro field’s irrigation system, controlling invasive species without chemicals, and replanting traditional food crops. The project builds on close collaboration with farmers from Rurutu, local research centers, the Municipality of Moorea, and families from the priority neighborhoods of the Opunohu Valley.
Its objectives are to:
- improve lagoon water quality by trapping sediments and reducing runoff;
- strengthen food self-sufficiency and traditional knowledge among low-income families;
- foster community engagement by involving youth in managing and maintaining the site;
- generate scientific data on the ecosystem services of taro fields to support replication of this model.
Project objectives
The Taro ‘ITE project pursues four complementary objectives:
- Improve lagoon water quality by using the taro field as a natural buffer zone, slowing runoff, trapping sediments, and reducing land-based inputs that harm coral reefs.
- Strengthen food self-sufficiency for low-income families by reintroducing taro cultivation and associated traditional knowledge, reducing dependence on imported foods and improving nutritional quality.
- Foster community engagement by involving young people from priority neighborhoods in managing and maintaining the taro field, promoting inclusion, solidarity, and intergenerational knowledge transfer.
- Generate scientific data on the ecosystem services provided by taro fields to demonstrate their ecological, social, and economic value, and to support the replication of this model across other sites in Polynesia and the Pacific.
Social inclusion and gender equity
The Taro ‘ITE project integrates an inclusive approach to ensure equitable participation of women, youth, and low-income families from priority neighborhoods. Planned actions include:
- Needs assessment with low-income families in the Opunohu Valley to identify barriers to the involvement of women and youth.
- Gender- and age-disaggregated data collection to track participation and measure the project’s social impacts.
- Targeted consultations with mothers, women farmers, and young adults to adapt activities (schedules, types of training, and support).
- Specific training sessions for women and youth on taro cultivation, processing, and value-added products.
- Regular monitoring to evaluate skills development and how the knowledge gained is integrated into household farming and food practices.
