Communities in Vanuatu are often intimately connected with their land; its rich soils, lively forests and natural waterways all contribute significantly to people’s lives – including providing sources of food and livelihoods.
These places are often also facing challenges, from climate impacts to degraded lands, meaning that new and innovative approaches are needed, as is ensuring everyone in a community has the chance to be part of these solutions.
Such approaches are what the Strengthening Nature-based Agriculture (SNBA) program is working to implement. By boosting agricultural production while also strengthening civil society and bringing benefits to local ecosystems, the program is trying to bring together many kinds of benefits through the lens of farming.
‘Nature-based agriculture looks at agriculture through a holistic lens with healthy ecosystems as a core criterion for sustainability and resilience,’ says Emil Samuel, SNBAg Project Coordinator for Live & Learn Vanuatu.
‘Nature-based agriculture has much to contribute as a land-use practice in Vanuatu in terms of promoting more sustainable land use, rehabilitation of degraded land and protection of water and soil, improved rural livelihoods and self-sufficiency, reclaiming local economies through import replacement and improvements in the nutritional status of local populations.’
Recently, the program has focused on providing governance training to women involved in civil society or farmers’ groups, making sure their role in these organisations is strongly established and beneficial to all women.
‘Engaging women is critical given that what is grown affects opportunities for sale at markets and potential opportunities for value-added production,’ says Emil. ‘Doing so will empower women, increase food security in the face of climate change and other disaster impacts, and ensure a sustainable food system.’
From 9-13 September, 40 women from the women’s farmers’ groups for Mangaliliu and Malafau villages came together in Mangaliliu to participate in the training, covering five topics: agroforestry, CSO women in leadership, business planning, financial management and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
Emil says the lessons can be applied by the women both at a household level and in the broader community.
‘The objective of this governance training is to enhance the women’s farmers’ groups with skills and knowledge so that they are fully equipped and feel empowered to take on the work of nature-based agriculture more effectively,’ he said.
And the lessons were received well, with one participant saying they felt ‘very fortunate’ to be taking part.
‘We have learned a lot – it is something new, and I am so grateful to be part of the workshop and the farmer group,’ she said. ‘We will apply this new knowledge and skills [to] improve the agriculture, socioeconomic and nutritional aspects of agroforestry farming. This project will bring in more livelihood income and create opportunities to engage more women in the full agricultural value chain.’
The Strengthening Nature-based Agriculture program is funded by the European Union and implemented by Live & Learn Vanuatu.
