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A total of 30 participants have attended the 4 Day Training by KGA in Gizo
Friday 21
Honiara, Solomon Islands – The increasing population density in urban areas is creating major food security issues next to a rising demand for processed products – could backyard gardens help manage malnutrition issues?
Kastom Gaden Association are in the process of establishing a provincial urban farm in the town of Gizo while providing local training on urban farming best practices.
The concept is being implemented in other urban centers including Noro with ongoing engagement with provincial and city councils and urban households to protect and utilize productive urban areas for food security.
“Honiara and provincial urban centers are rapidly expanding due to significant rural-urban migration,” says Kastom Gaden Association Trainer, Esther Lodu. “It’s also increasing social problems in urban areas, affecting urban stability and leading to the growth of informal settlements.”
“In such urban environments people continue to rely heavily on forest and garden crops for both subsistence and cash income, and so it’s critically important to protect the remaining productive urban and peri urban open spaces in urban centers and towns.”
A total of 30 participants attended the 4 day training and were involved in the establishment of a model garden, and on the job training including nursery management, field transplanting, seed saving, seed production, compost making, rapid multiplication techniques and farm management.
Kastom Gaden Association has made it clear it supports the protection of productive urban and peri urban spaces to manage significant pressure on existing resources from increasing rural to urban migration.
The activities are funded by the Farmers’ Organizations for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (FO4ACP) Programme, a joint partnership between the European Union, Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) and Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network (PIFON).