October 2020
Building Food Security In The Cook Islands
Te Tango Enua president, Daniel Mataroa says the Cook Islands is in critical need to build up its food security
An awareness workshop conducted by Te Tango Enua is leaving participants with an in-depth perspective on breadfruit.
The unique opportunity presented participants with knowledge on breadfruit establishment and care, breadfruit varieties, regenerative organic agroforestry with breadfruit, product options, and economic evaluation.
President, Daniel Mataroa says the Cook Islands is in critical need to build up its food security.
“Breadfruit is everywhere in the Cooks but we eat imported food, we spend over $30m a year on imported food yet we have breadfruit right on our doorstep – $30m a year of imported food is an opportunity for our people to replace it but it needs a lot of work and effort.”
Forty-seven new farmers attended the workshop on the island of Mauke.
“The challenge is re-educating the people about kuru (breadfruit) and we intend to promote it in the Cooks.”
Te Tango Enua have also placed an order for 2,000 tissue culture plants to be imported from the Secretariat of the Pacific based in Suva, Fiji.
The workshop was funded by the Farmers’ Organizations for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific – FO4ACP Programme, a joint partnership between the European Union, Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network (PIFON).