A blog maintained by Tevita Kete, PGR Officer

Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji Islands

 

   

This weblog documents the activities of Pacific Agricultural Genetic Resources Network (PAPGREN), along with other information on plant genetic resources (PGR) in the Pacific.

The myriad varieties found within cultivated plants are fundamental to the present and future productivity of agriculture. PAPGREN, which is coordinated by the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), helps Pacific countries and territories to conserve their crop genetic diversity sustainably, with technical assistance from the Bioversity International (BI) and support from NZAID and ACIAR.

SPC also hosts the Centre of Pacific Crops and Trees (CEPaCT). The CEPaCT maintains regional in vitro collections of crops important to the Pacific and carries out research on tissue culture technology. The CEPaCT Adviser is Dr Mary Taylor (MaryT@spc.int), the CEPaCT Curator is Ms Valerie Tuia (ValerieT@spc.int).

 

 

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PAPGREN coordination and support

  • IPGRI
  • ACIAR
  • NZAID
  • CTA
  • SPC
  • PAPGREN
  • CEPaCT

     genebank locations
    Click on the thumbnail to see a map of the locations of Pacific genebanks. Click here to download a regional directory of genebanks in the Pacific, including information on their location, contact details and holdings.

    PAPGREN partners


    Mr William Wigmore
    Director of Research
    Ministry of Agriculture
    Department of Resources & Development
    P.O. Box 96
    Rarotonga
    Cook Islands
    Tel: (682) 28711-29720
    Fax: (682) 21881
    Email: cimoa@oyster.net.ck

    Mr Adelino S. Lorens
    Chief
    Agriculture Pohnpei
    Office of Economic Affairs
    P.O. Box 1028
    Kolonia
    Pohnpei 96941
    Federated States of Micronesia
    Tel: (691) 3202400
    Fax: (691) 3202127
    Email: pniagriculture@mail.fm

    Dr Lois Englberger
    Island Food Community of Pohnpei
    Research Advisor
    P.O. Box 2299
    Kolonia
    Pohnpei 96941
    Federated States of Micronesia
    Email: nutrition@mail.fm

    Mr Apisai Ucuboi
    Director of Research
    Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest
    Koronivia Research Station
    P.O. Box 77
    Nausori
    Fiji Islands
    Tel: (679) 3477044
    Fax: (679) 3477546-400262
    Email: apisainu@yahoo.com

    Dr Maurice Wong
    Service du Developpement Rural
    B.P. 100
    Papeete
    Tahiti 98713
    French Polynesia
    Tel: (689) 42 81 44
    Fax: (689) 42 08 31
    Email: maurice.wong@rural.gov.pf

    Mr Tianeti Beenna Ioane
    Head, Research Section
    Division of Agriculture
    Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development
    P.O. Box 267
    Tarawa
    Kiribati
    Tel: (686) 28096-28108-28080
    Fax: (686) 28121
    Email : agriculture@tskl.net.ki; Beenna_ti@yahoo.com

    Mr Frederick Muller
    Secretary
    Ministry of Resources & Development
    P.O. Box 1727
    Majuro 96960
    Marshall Islands
    Tel: (692) 6253206
    Fax: (692) 6257471
    Email: rndsec@ntamar.net

    Mr Herman Francisco
    Director
    Bureau of Agriculture
    Ministry of Resources & Development
    P.O. Box 460
    Koror 96940
    Palau
    Tel: (680) 4881517
    Fax: (680) 4881725
    Email: bnrd@pnccwg.palaunet.com

    Ms Rosa Kambuou
    Principal Scientist PGR
    NARI Dry Lowlands Programme
    Laloki Agricultural Research Station
    P.O. Box 1828
    Boroko
    National Capital District
    Papua New Guinea
    Tel: (675) 3235511
    Fax: (675) 3234733
    Email: kambuou@global.net.pg

    Ms Laisene Samuelu
    Principal Crop Development Officer
    Crops Division
    Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries & Meteorology
    P.O. Box 1874
    Apia
    Samoa
    Tel: (685) 23416-20605
    Fax: (685) 20607-23996
    Email: lsamuelu@lesamoa.net

    Mr Jimi Saelea
    Director of Research
    Department of Agriculture and Livestock
    P.O. Box G13
    Honiara
    Guadalcanal
    Solomon Islands
    Tel: (677) 27987

    Mr Tony Jansen
    Planting Materials Network
    Kastom Gaden Association
    Burns Creek, Honiara
    P.O. Box 742
    Honiara
    Solomon Islands
    Tel: (677) 39551
    Email: kastomgaden@solomon.com.sb

    Mr Finao Pole
    Head of Research
    Ministry of Agriculture & Forests
    P.O. Box 14
    Nuku'alofa
    Tonga
    Tel: (676) 23038
    Fax: (676) 24271
    Email: thaangana@hotmail.com

    Mr Frazer Bule Lehi
    Head of Research
    Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
    Private Mail Bag 040
    Port Vila
    Vanuatu
    Tel: (678) 22525
    Fax: (678) 25265
    Email: flehi@hotmail.com

    Other links

    Other CROP agencies
    Forum Secretariat
    University of the South Pacific
    SPREP

    Pacific biodiversity
    Biodiversity hotspots
    Breadfruit Institute
    Hawaiian native plants
    Intellectual property rights
    Nature Conservancy
    PBIF
    PestNet
    SIDS
    WWF South Pacific Program

    Other Pacific organizations
    Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific
    Micronesian Seminar
    Te Puna web directory

    Pacific news
    Cafe Pacific
    CocoNET Wireless
    Island Directory
    Pacific Islands News
    Pacific Islands Report
    Pacific Islands Travel
    Pacific Time
    South Pacific travel
    Time Pacific

    Interested in GIS?
    DIVA-GIS

     

  •  

    Sunday, December 04, 2005


    Pacifika improved and integrated farming systems
    Income generation and a better environment from enriched and stabilised mixed crop farming

    A Policy Briefing for Governments and Development Agencies in the Pacific Region: An output from a regional agroforestry workshop on ensuring food security and better livelihoods for Pacific people

    The Problem - Because of increasing pressures for land in most Pacific island countries, shifting agriculture is no longer a sustainable form of land use. The needs of farmers have changed and shifting cultivation no longer meets the needs of farmers for food security and income generation. Most importantly, the shortened fallow periods no longer restore soil fertility and shifting agriculture is now damaging the environment.

    The Facts - Traditional mixed cropping systems have many advantages. The benefits include:

    • Diversity provides resilience and risk aversion from environmental and market failures
    • Low input expenditures maximize economic returns
    • Ecosystem services are protected and harnessed to maximize nutrient and water use efficiency, as well as to sustain the natural food chains and life cycles that regulate pests and diseases
    • The integrated mixture of traditional food crops with tree crops in a permanent and profitable production system (agroforest)
    • Opportunities for a diverse ‘portfolio’ of natural resource investments in a mixture of crops meeting domestic and market needs
    • Opportunities for inclusion of speciality crops for ‘niche’ markets as well as the staple foods
    • Perennial crops, especially trees for timber and indigenous fruits and nuts (‘Agroforestry Tree Products’), provide a ‘bank account’ for the next generation
    • Suitable for marginal land and protection of hillsides and water catchments
    • Close affinity with culture and existing lifestyles while allowing economic advancement and enhanced livelihoods
    What are Pacifika Improved and Integrated Farming Systems? - This name was accepted at a regional workshop at IRETA, USP, Alafua, Samoa in September 2005 to describe the range of mixed cropping systems found in the Pacific islands that enhance sustainability and ecological stability by including a mixture of trees and other crops. This enrichment of traditional crops with trees improves overall profitability, maximizes productivity, creates opportunities for innovation and maximises environmental services. Thus this form of mixed cropping provides a landuse that combines traditional approaches to farming with modern agroforestry science as an alternative to shifting agriculture.

    Recommendation - Adopt this Action-Oriented Agenda
    • Participatory approaches to determine and serve the needs of farmers and other stakeholders
    • Market research to identify new commercial opportunities, especially for indigenous plants
      producing marketable products (fruits, nuts, extractives, medicinals, timber, etc.)
    • Landuse planning needs to include Pacifika IIFS
    • Research on the integration of trees and crops, building on worldwide knowledge
    • Research on domestication of novel tree crops
    • Farmer training and the establishment of NGO support
    • Extension and dissemination of outputs of former research and development projects
    • Awareness building in rural communities about Pacifika IIFS
    • Development and protection of data and databases on soils
    • Improvement and enforcement of landuse policies
    • Private sector involvement in rural development
    • Multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional projects
    • Ministerial ownership of multi-sector initiatives
    For further information

    Mohammed Umar, Director, IRETA, The University of the South Pacific (USP), Alafua Campus, Private Mail Bag, pia, Samoa; Tel: +685 22 372; Fax: +685 22 347; E-mail: umar_m@samoa.usp.ac.fj
    Rger Leakey, Agroforestry and Novel Crops Unit, School of Tropical Biology, James Cook Univesity, Cairns, Qld, ustralia; Tel: +61 7 4042 1573; Fax: +61 7 4042 1319; E-mail: Roger.Leakey@jcu.edu.au
    Caig Elevitch, Agroforestry Net, PO Box 428, Holualoa, Hawaii 96725, USA; Tel: +1 808 324 4427; Fax: +1 808 324 4129; E-mail: cre@agroforestry.org

    Support from: CTA, IRETA, GTZ, SPC, Agroforestry.net, James Cook University

    Get the pdf of this document at http://www.agroforestry.net/pubs/PIIFS_Policy_Briefing.pdf.

    * Comments:

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