May 2025
Monday 26
Nukualofa, Tonga (May 26th, 2025): A significant side event, themed “Partnering with Farmer Organisations for Greater Impact,” will be held on 26 May 2025, in Nuku’alofa during the Pacific Week of Agriculture and Forestry (PWAF). The event will feature Lord Fakafanua, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, as the Chief Guest, and include speakers Hon. Sinaitakala Tu’itahi (Minister for Internal Affairs, Tonga), David Jenkison Tibon (Chief of Agriculture, Marshall Islands), Luke Simmons (Assistant Director, DFAT), Candra Samekto (IFAD Country Director for the Pacific), and Antoine Ravo (Director of DARD, Vanuatu MALFFB).
This collaborative event is being organized by the Pacific Farmer Organisations (PFO), Growers Federation of Tonga, Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovation Tonga Trust (MORDI Tonga Trust), and Nishi Trading, with crucial support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
The event will bring together a global community, with representatives from over 10 countries, including experts, researchers, development partners, and farmer organisation leaders. Participants will explore the potential of partnerships with farmer organisations to drive sustainable and impactful agricultural development across the Pacific region.
Over the past 15 years, the Pacific has witnessed a transformative shift in agricultural research and extension. Farmer organisations and private sector actors are increasingly at the forefront of this change, playing a central role in agricultural innovation and development. This side event aims to highlight the successes of these evolving partnerships and explore opportunities to further strengthen collaboration.
Governments and development partners continue to provide enabling policy environments, vital expertise, and financial support, creating a fertile ground for these initiatives.
“Farmer organisations are no longer on the sidelines of agricultural development in the Pacific—they are at the center, shaping solutions and driving impact,” said Kyle Stice, Executive Director of Pacific Farmer Organisations. “This event is about recognizing that shift and deepening the partnerships that make it possible.”
IFAD has financed initiatives in the Pacific to enhance rural livelihoods for over four decades. IFAD’s efforts address the region’s extreme vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters, including threats to food security and nutrition; the long-standing reliance on imported and processed foods; and the “triple burden” of malnutrition – undernutrition, overweight, and micronutrient deficiencies — as well as gender inequality and discrimination.
“IFAD recognizes that farmer organizations are at the heart of sustainable agricultural progress in the Pacific,” said Candra Samekto, IFAD Country Director for the Pacific Islands. “The partnerships we build together will be critical in addressing the unique challenges faced by Pacific Island countries, and this event is a step forward in creating platforms that encourage knowledge sharing and provide avenues for further collaboration,” he added.