Organic Islands: Growing Our Future

Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom), Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)

#SDGAction39867

Description

Organic agriculture has a significant contribution to make towards sustainable development of small island developing states due to its environment and climate friendly production systems, its suitability for small holders and its adaptation to local conditions. The entire organic system is based on participation and necessary public-private partnerships, whereby smallholders are integrated into markets. Further, the diversity of food cultures, traditional knowledge and nutritional security are safeguarded by organic agriculture. The Partnership will:-improve local and regional food and nutritional security;-improve farmer livelihoods by enabling farmers to trade, with access to both domestic and export markets, and by reducing their dependence on imported production inputs;-improve human health, by providing better access to high-quality, clean and nutritious food;-promote diversified, productive and sustainable farming systems able to face global climate crisis; -protect and enhance the environment, by encouraging the use of environmentally friendly management practices; and-improve the well-being of people and communities, by promoting the adoption of ethical labour and social justice principles.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

The Partnership will be achieved through implementation of the POETCom Strategic Plan for the period 2013 â€“ 2017. The plan focuses on 4 areas of impact:- Mindset: for organic agriculture to be mainstreamed and widely recognised and adopted as a solution to many of the Pacific regions challenges;- Production & Environment: For organic production to meet market demands and ensure food and nutritional security for Pacific peoples; -Value Chains: For domestic and export organic value chains to be developed and strengthened providing expanded livelihoods opportunities for Pacific producers-Sustainability: for POETCom to secure the partnerships and the human, financial and institutional resources it requires to achieve its mission and goals. These will be achieved through:-Individual members ongoing programmes and activities as well as jointly developed programmes-Effective coordination, information sharing and networking of Partnership members-Cooperation in capacity building, in particular through technical end expert exchanges amongst the members of the partnership to share experiences, skills and learning-Cooperation in advocating for organic agriculture as a development and representing the interest of organic producers with policy makers-Cooperation in identifying resources to support the partnership-Jointly establishing and supporting a regional certification scheme to support market access.

Capacity

POETCom formed in 2010; Secretariat established in SPC in 2012.Strategic Plan launched 2013.-A bi annual Technical Exchange was launched in 2012 where POETCom affiliates and partners come together to share learning and experience. -A bi monthly electronic newsletter Cultivating Community is issued to share information and developments.-A list serve has operated for easy exchange of information since 2012-A website and information portal will be launched in July 2014 to provide information and resources to all Partnership members and interested stakeholders. It will include a member's forum and member's blogs.For more information contact: http://asia.ifad.org/web/poetcom/homehttp://www.spc.int/lrd/index.php?o… An dedicated website will be launched at the end of July 2014 at http://organicpasifika.org

Governed

The Partnership will be governed by the POETCom Advisory Board which is elected by the members of POETCom every 2 years at a Members General Meeting. The Secretariat hosted by the Land Resources Division(LRD) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Suva, Fiji. The Advisory Board is responsible for maintaining the connection between the POETCom and its affiliates and other members of the Partnership. The Advisory Board makes decisions by a process of careful deliberation, seeking out the wisdom and experience of as many voices as appropriate, which may include its members, consumers, staff, volunteers, and others with knowledge of the Partnership. The Advisory Board strives for consensus of opinion in its decision-making.Ongoing monitoring of outcomes and learning will be implemented through POETCom Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Framework(MEL). The POETCom Secretariat annually provides a comprehensive review of the plan based on the data collected to the POETCom Advisory Board and the Advisory Board through the Annual Reporting mechanism will inform all members and stakeholders of progress towards the goals of the plan and any necessary adjustments or learning that are to be implemented

Partners

Regional: SPC, Pacific Island Farmers Organisation network, USP, Pacific High Level Organics Group (PHLOG)
Cook Islands- Titikaveka Growers Association
Fiji- Fiji Organic Association, Teitei Taveuni
French Polynesia - Eden Parc, BioFetia
Kiribati: K-Organic Producers, Kiribati Organic Farmers Association, Department of Agriculture and Livestock
Niue: Niue Island Organic Farmers Association
New Caledonia - Association Bio Caledonia, STOP GMO Pacifique, Chamber d'agriculture de Nouvelle-Caledonie
Palau: Palau Organic Growers Association, Palau Taiwan Farmers Association (Taiwan, Province of China)
Papua New Guinea - NARI
Samoa- Women in Business Development
Solomon Islands: Kustom Gaden Association; Zai na Tina Organic Demonstration Farms
Tonga: Tonga National Youth Congress
Vanuatu- Vanuatu Virgin Coconut Oil Ltd, SANMA Community Coconuts, Tebakor Island Products Ltd , Vanuatu Organics Ltd , Farm Support Association, Aufferville, Department of Agriculture
Wallis & Futuna - Chambre de Commerce d'Industrie des Metiers et de l'Agriculture

International and Development partner support to date: International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Development Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation, French Pacific Fund, European Union, Government of French Polynesia, Government of New Caledonia

SDGS & Targets

Goal 2

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

2.1

By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

2.1.1

Prevalence of undernourishment

2.1.2

Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)

2.2

By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons

2.2.1

Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age

2.2.2

Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)

2.2.3

Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)

2.3

By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment

2.3.1

Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size

2.3.2

Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status

2.4

By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

2.4.1

Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture

2.5

By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed

2.5.1

Number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities

2.5.2

Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction

2.a

Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries

2.a.1

The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures

2.a.2

Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector

2.b

Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round

2.b.1

Agricultural export subsidies

2.c

Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility