The Kiwa EMPOWER Team was proud to be a part of the Soil Health Improvement Field Day as part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s awareness program in Matalolo Village, Cakaudrove.

The event took place in Matalolo village in the highlands of the Wairiki District in Cakaudrove. The event saw the Ministry of Agriculture’s Land Use Unit and Resource Unit carry out a Farmers Learning Exchange Program. The Units carried out demonstrations on Climate Smart Agriculture as well as composting, bacterium culture preparation and use along with the application of bio-char processing. It also included visits to eggplant, pumpkin, ginger and dalo model farms within the District.

The Land Use Unit demonstrated the importance of using bacterium culture or micro-organisms used to improve soil health, stimulate plant growth and protect crops. The participants were shown how to boost the production of these microorganisms through the use of untreated fresh milk and sugarcane molasses to grow the number of bacterium. They then showed the method preparation in mixing a certain amount of bacterium with water and spray over the prepared farming area. The bacterium is used to enrich soil, boost crop health, and speed up composting as well as serving as an organic alternative to chemical fertilizers.

Those present were also shown the various climate smart agriculture farming techniques used by the farmers in Matalolo including ‘cover cropping’ which prevents soil erosion by covering the ground, protecting it from wind and rain. The second method is ‘mulch cropping’ which is also a sustainable agricultural technique that involves covering the soil surface with organic materials such as compost, leaves and cut grass.

The event was particularly special for Mereoni Aditukana who was awarded the Climate Smart Agriculture Woman Farmer of the Year award at the National Women in Agriculture Symposium 2026.

“As a woman, becoming a farmer was never my dream but it has become more than just farming. Here, it is widely known that farming is for men and for me, the role has been for my husband who has always farmed and brought food for our family. I challenged myself and took up farming. My customers are the villages around me. Last week, I went down to the Labasa market and made $30 from sales, my first harvest was $50 the next $46. I have also been able to meet my obligation to the Church (Sevu) and I am slowly growing. Taking up climate smart agriculture following the training, has allowed me as a woman to gain independence and be self-reliant.”

The work in Matalolo began in 2023 through a partnership with the Land Care Program between Fiji and Australia.  Matalolo was a community which was heavily reliant on Yaqona and Dalo Farming. These farming practices involved a lot of encroachment into the upper Labasa catchment with activities such as felling of trees and unsustainable agriculture practices. These practices caused a lot of soil loss, flooding and nutrients loss. Through the initiative, Matalolo households have moved to climate smart agriculture and benefitted both economically and socially, and there has also been a decrease in flooding impacts.

This one day Program in Matalolo allowed the Kiwa EMPOWER team to see first-hand the impact of farmer learning exchanges as well as upskill on their knowledge of climate smart agriculture and strengthen their network with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Resource Unit and within the Ministry.

Climate Smart Agriculture or CSA is an important aspect of the Kiwa EMPOWER Project as we work hand in hand with our selected communities to restore and protect our natural resources. By promoting nature-based solutions, sustainable land management, and inclusive community action — especially empowering women and vulnerable groups — we are strengthening resilience from the ground up.

Kiwa EMPOWER is a regional Project being implemented in Fiji, the Solomon Islands and in Tuvalu.

#NatureBasedSolutions #ClimateAction #PacificResilience #SoilHealth #KiwaEMPOWER #LLEEFiji #ClimateSmartAgriculture

The KIWA Empower Project was officially launched on Tuesday and marked a significant step toward climate resilience and sustainable development in the region.The project aims to empower local communities especially women and youth by supporting nature-based solutions to address the impacts of climate change. It is part of the larger KIWA Initiative, supported by the European Union, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and other partners.Minister for Environment Trevor Mahaga highlighted the importance of collaboration in protecting ecosystems and improving livelihoods across vulnerable communities.

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗱 𝟮𝟱 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://youtu.be/r2FxIozESQM

Source: Tavuli News (Solomon Islands)

Date: 25/06/2025

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Solomon Islands is set to benefit from SBD32 Million funded under Kiwa project across the Pacific region.

Australia is providing the 32 million with the aim to strengthen climate change resilience development across the Pacific including Solomon Islands.

First Secretary from the Australian High Commission Office, Prue Pickering spoke about this at the launch of the KIWA Empower project in Honiara on Tuesday 24, last week.

She said the Solomon Islands benefits from four different Kiwa initiative projects, including the Empower project.

“We all know that climate change is the greatest threat to livelihoods and wellbeing across the Pacific and that’s why Australia is committed to supporting climate-resilient development in Solomon Islands,” said Pickering.

She said empowerment is important because it focuses on improving water and ecosystem resilience, which is crucial for climate resilience.

“It’s particularly great that this project will focus on some of the more hard-to-reach communities in the Solomon Islands, because we all know that remoteness can increase vulnerability to climate impacts and disasters,” she said.

Pickering said the Kiwa initiative helps to meet the need for more financing for adaptation and climate resilience in the Pacific.

She stated that it is a unique program that leverages the engagement of Pacific regional organisations, just like Live & Learn, which is key to its success.

Pickering expressed that Australia recognises the opportunities that nature-based solutions present to effectively address environmental and social challenges of climate change simultaneously.

Henceforth, Australia values the opportunity to work with other donors on this initiative, such as New Zealand, the European Union, Canada and France.

She also mentioned that Australia supports a number of nature-based solutions initiatives in the Solomon Islands.

“In 2021, Australia launched Climate Resilient by Nature and through that project, we have some communities working on coastal erosion and mangrove restoration in Western Province and Makira. We’re also pleased to support the Baru Conservation Alliance in Malaita, who do some great work working with foreign forest conservation, working with tribal community leaders,” said Pickering.

She noted that Australia looks forward to seeing the project progress.

For feedback, contact:jhouanihau24@gmail.com

Source: The Island Sun (Solomon Islands)

Date: 30/06/2025