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TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Building social resilience through understanding capacities of
smallholder farming in Papua New Guinea Colin Birch
On behalf of
G. Palaniappan, B. Chambers, L. Bonney, L. Simeon,
S. Hopa and C. Birch
27th September 2011World Congress on Conservation Agriculture, Brisbane
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
The Project contextPaper arises from project
Increasing vegetable production in Central Province, Papua New Guinea
to supply Port Moresby Markets(in partnership with)
National Agricultural Research InstituteFresh Produce Development Agency
Central Province AdministrationPacific Adventist University
Greenfresh Limited
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
The Papua New Guinea Context
Developing CountryEconomy in transition – led by mineral and
gas resource projects Socially diverseCulturally conservativeCustomary land tenure - groups
Subsistence agriculture still predominantShifting agricultureBut emerging semi-commercial and
commercial production
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
The Papua New Guinea Context
Rapidly increasing populationInternal migration creating challenges
Highlands to peri Urban Port MoresbyRising middle class and increasing ex-
patriot populationSignificant illiteracyLow level of servicesComplexity of Government – National, Provincial, Local, new provinces in 2011
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
The Papua New Guinea Government responses
Meeting fresh food needs of PoM and other
centres a Government priority
National Government established Fresh
Produce Development Agency
Agricultural development a priority
of Central Province Admin
Community development
embedded in agric. development
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
The Opportunity
Overcome deficit in PoM supply - 60000 to 80000t/yr
Meeting changing tastes eg. ‘westernisation’ of diets ex-patriots want cool temperate vegetables
Replacing imports and conserving foreign exchange
Improving diets and nutrition
Enhancing value chains and returns to farmers
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Research Rationale and Strategy
RationaleEnhance socio-economic conditionsImprove productionImprove self relianceUtilise local resources Produce diversity of crops
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Our socio-economic research strategy
Use an action research framework of semi-structured interviews
To
Identify socio-economic strengths and constraints affecting vegetable production and profitability.
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Research Methodology
Used Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and Rapid Supply Chain Appraisal (RSCA)To elicit vegetable farming realities and
ideas for change
AI has 4 Ds – Discovery, Dream, Design, Destiny
RSCA – identifies areas for improvement along supply chains
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Research Methodology
The Discovery and Dream Interview Used small group approach – 4 to 15 people Men and women interviewed separately in
English and Tok Pisun or Motu Participants asked to name the best and most
problematic aspects of vegetable growing
Most frequently mentioned aspects identified Reflection process used to ensure validity and
consistency
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Research Methodology
Dream and Design workshop with women and their daughters being held late September in Port
Moresby.Purpose - to link Dreams to Design using a low-literacy, pictorial
training needs assessment linked to vegetable growing
Dreams provide the entry point for exploring DesignDesign encourages thinking about strategies to improve vegetable growing,Destiny (the next step) encourages implementation of actions and provision of feedback to the community
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Research Methodology Dream and Design workshop
- with women and their daughters being held late September in Port Moresby
Purpose - to link Dreams to Design using a low-literacy, pictorial training needs assessment linked to vegetable growing
Aim: Quality in the supermarket?
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Research Methodology
RSCA –Identify participants/groups along the supply chain
Interview process to gain perceptions of participants of aspects of supply chain that can
be improvedProvides focus for subsequent biophysical and
supply chain research
AI and RSCA complimentary methodologies
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Findings - Strengths favouring adaptation and resilience
Food security, surplus sold
Family involvement of farming enterprise
Participants wishing to remain in farming
Some socio-cultural norms
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Findings - Weaknesses that constrain adaptation and resilience
Limited availability of inputs and knowledge
Poor access to markets, poor post harvest infrastructure
Poor roads and transportDistance from RD & E ServicesSocio cultural – eg land tenure, cultural
norms, insecurity
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Current work arising from these studies
Dream and Destiny workshop this week Field experimentation at NARI, PAU, Tapini Demonstration areas at, Sogeri, Tapini Ongoing value chain research Establishing improved value chains from Tapini,
Sogeri, Kwikila/Rigo-Bautama
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Conclusions Small holder families vital
Enhance capacity through cooperatives
Resilience requires improvements along the value chain and improved economic strength of rural communities
Assisted in focussing current production and value chain research
Providing guidance to for example establishment of marketing infrastructure
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Acknowledgements
The financial support of ACIAR is acknowledged.
TIAR – research • development • extension • education • training
Location of the ProjectLimited to Central Province of PNG, has coastal lowlands and mid altitude areas eg Tapini