Together We Can Go Far: Pacific Farmer Organizations as Drivers of Rural Economic Development

Abstract

Oceania covers 3.2 M sq. miles comprised of 3 cultural regions (Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia). Cultural and agricultural approaches to regional collaboration have proven effective for practical solutions in dissemination of agricultural development information and services.

Farmer Organisations (FOs), once a rarity in the Pacific, are becoming the primary catalyst for the effective grass roots approach to regional collaboration for economic and ancillary forms of development vs. top-down local government centralized methods. The Pacific Islands Farmer Organization Network (PIFON) serves as a regional umbrella organization for national farmer organizations in 12 Pacific countries and US Affiliated Territories with 35 Farmer Organization members and a total membership reach of +80,000 farmers in its network. PIFON’s vision is to make its Pacific FOs more vibrant, viable, resilient and sustainable as organization’s with a mission that its farmer organizations be the driving force in securing financial and sustainable livelihoods for rural households in the Pacific. In line with its vision, and strategic goals PIFON has partnered with the UH Pacific Business Center Program (PBCP) linked to technical, research, scientific and technological resources of the University of Hawaii system as a resource consultant to assist with economic and business development opportunities in the Pacific Islands Hawaii, US and beyond.