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