THE Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), successfully conducted a Training of Trainers (TOT) on Climate Smart Agriculture. This important workshop was part of the project titled “Reducing COVID-19 Related Food Insecurity in the Pacific” GCP/SAP/004/CAN Solomon Islands and was held at IBS Monarch Hotel in Honiara from Wednesday, 23rd April to Thursday, 24th April 2025.
The workshop brought together MAL extension officers from Malaita, Central Islands, Guadalcanal, and Honiara-based Biosecurity, Research, Livestock, Extension and Planning officers. Participants also included representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, along with Solomon’s FAO country rep Mr. Douglas Yee.
Opening the workshop, Deputy Secretary Special Duties, Mr. Simon Baete, emphasized the timeliness of the initiative, acknowledging the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural communities. He remarked, “COVID-19 has affected our food systems and made life harder for many of our rural communities. But through this partnership, we are working together to build stronger and more resilient farming systems here in Solomon Islands.”
The TOT focused on equipping MAL officers with community-based assessment tools to help them understand the challenges faced by rural communities due to climate change. These tools aim to enable officers to respond effectively to community needs and foster resilience.
Mr. Baete noted that the training represented an investment in participants as trainers, enabling them to spread knowledge to farming families across the provinces.
Mr. Barney Keqa, the National Project Specialist, explained that the project is being implemented in two targeted communities in each of the three provincial sites—Malaita, Russell in Central Islands, and Guadalcanal. Across the Pacific, the project extends its impact to neighboring countries such as Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Tonga.
Facilitating the workshop was FAO Representative and Technical Advisor, Mr. Taniela Hoponoa. He stated, “As facilitator, my role is to assist you with participatory community-based vulnerability assessments, providing tools and examples to empower and upskill you for the tasks ahead. I have great respect for your knowledge and experience, and I aim to complement it with a few tips and insights.”
The MAL Deputy Secretary Special Duties expressed gratitude to FAO for its continued support and applauded the commitment of the workshop participants. Mr. Baete concluded the event with an optimistic call to action: “Let this be the start of even stronger teamwork, better community involvement, and real change to our rural farming systems.”
Source: MAL Press Release
