News & Press Releases

Assessing risks of pesticides to human and environmental health

Suva, Fiji – Improving the skills needed to assess the risks of agricultural pesticides to human and environmental health is the aim of a capacity building workshop this week (27 April – 1 May) at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Suva.

Good risk assessment and sound pesticide registration systems are essential in building the resilience and wellbeing of Pacific Island communities.

The European Union is assisting the workshop with funds for Phase 2 of the “Capacity Building related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements in ACP Countries”, a partnership with SPC, and with technical support provided by the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Most Pacific Islands do not have specialised skills and diagnostic equipment available to conduct thorough scientific analyses of pesticides, often relying on standards used in neighbouring countries like New Zealand and Australia. 
More than 60 per cent of pesticides imported by Pacific Island countries and territories have not been properly assessed for risks to human and environment health.

Promoting local Tongan produce in contemporary cuisine

Nukualofa, Tonga – This week in Tongatapu a number of activities are under way to improve the livelihoods of farmers by improving their access to the tourism and restaurant markets.

The European Union, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) are collaborating with the Tonga Ministry of Agriculture to promote Pacific Agritourism in Nuku’alofa, in an effort to strengthen the links between agriculture and tourism.

Capacity building on social media tools for improved knowledge sharing

Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 14 April, 2015 – From 13 to 17 April 2015 the Cook Islands Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is hosting a Web 2.0 and social media learning opportunity workshop and training. The event held at the MoA’s headquarters in Arorangi, is jointly supported by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), and the European Union funded Pacific Agriculture Policy Project (PAPP) (part of the Intra-ACP Agriculture Policy Project).

European Union and SPC in a partnership to develop Pacific coconut sector

Suva, Fiji – Coconuts have a unique potential to contribute to sustainable and healthy rural livelihoods throughout the Pacific islands and can provide a key driver for employment, incomes and growth in the region.

The European Union (EU) through the 10th European Development Fund is allocating 3.5 million Euro (FJ$7.75 million) to further develop the coconut industry in the Pacific. The Pacific Coconut Project will be implemented by the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

A three-day regional consultation (30 March – 1 April) is organised this week at Novotel, Nadi to review and endorse a project design on a way forward to develop the coconut sector in the Pacific and to begin groundwork for a new Pacific Regional Coconut Strategy.

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