The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) has plans to “re-ignite” agroforestry across the Pacific, according to an interview on ABC radio Australia.

“Agroforestry is nothing new in the context of Pacific agriculture,” explains Vinesh Prasad, agroforestry technician with SPC. “It has been used for decades where trees have been combined with agricultural crops and livestock.”

However in past years, as Pacific island nations sought export markets, farmers moved more towards monocropping and concentrated on 1 or 2 crops, eliminating trees from farming systems. This has led to problems such as land degradation, soil erosion and depleted soil health.

Prasad outlines that there is now a move to rejuvenate agroforestry in the Pacific. “We need to have an integrated farming approach to realize the full benefit of agricultural and primary industry in our countries,” he says.

Agroforestry has an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change, increasing farmer’s resilience, improving biodiversity and soil fertility as well as increasing farmers’ incomes.

In Tonga, Hango agricultural college has now incorporated agroforestry into its curriculum. The hope is that students, who are future farmers, will understand the value of integrating trees into farming systems. SPC will continue to support the college with training and technical expertise.

Listen to the interview: Push for more agroforestry across the Pacific