New Zealand will support climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable land management in six Pacific countries.
Aotearoa New Zealand will support climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable land management in six Pacific countries.
The announcement was made by Foreign Minister Winston Peters, Science Minister Dr Shane Reti and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts during a cross-party delegation to Tonga, Hawai’i and Vanuatu.
Minister Peters says agriculture, food systems, and land-use play a fundamental role in over 80 percent of people’s livelihoods in the Pacific.
“Pacific farmers produce the majority of the region’s nutritious food, and export produce, including to New Zealand.”
Minister Reti adds the initiative will boost the capacity and connections between agricultural ministries and research agencies across the region.
Meanwhile, Minister Watts says sea level rise, salt intrusion, increased pests and diseases, and cyclones and extreme weather events are all impacting on food production, food and nutrition security, livelihoods, and economic resilience.
“This highlights that it is critical that climate-resilient agriculture and land resources in the Pacific are strengthened.”
This initiative, worth NZ$13.8 million, will run from 2025–2028 in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Niue, and Cook Islands.
In Tonga, NZ$2.8 million will be directed to improve soil management, map land use pressures, and preserve culturally significant endangered plants that support livelihoods.
