Soil is a critical resource in Pacific Island countries and territories, especially for food production. Traditional agricultural systems rely heavily on domestic food production, sustaining the livelihoods of a significant portion of the population.
The 6th Pacific Soils Partnership (PSP) meeting was held from 21-22 August 2024 virtually bringing together 39 participants from Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTS) including various scientific organisations.
While delivering her opening remarks, the Director of the Land Resources Division, Ms Karen Mapusua, emphasised the vital role of soil as a crucial resource in PICTS, fundamental to ecosystem services, particularly in sustaining food production and the need to prioritise soil security on par with food security, water security, energy security, and resilience to climate change in the Pacific islands.
She further highlighted the significance of the PSP network in fostering collaboration among PICTS in sharing resources and jointly addressing soil-related challenges and the importance of focusing on regenerative agriculture in the Pacific Islands.
Ms Mapusua also expressed appreciation for the ongoing support from Australia (DFAT), New Zealand (MFAT), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and all participating countries in advancing soil management initiatives across the Pacific region.
Soils in the Pacific vary between atolls and volcanic islands. For instance, in Fiji, some of the constraints faced in soil management and agriculture include soil erosion, soil degradation, nutrient deficiency, salinity and climate variability. Addressing these issues often requires a combination of improved land management practices, soil conservation techniques and appropriate agricultural inputs. Furthermore, the Pacific Soils Partnership Network provides a platform to address these issues and find solutions collectively.
Roselyn Deo from Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture and a participant in the meeting said, “This platform has been a knowledge-sharing experience and is helpful in the capacity building as the network has facilitated the exchange of knowledge, expertise and best practices among member countries. This also helps in building local capacities and implementing effective soil management strategies.”
Matio Lonalona from Tuvalu, also a participant said, “It was a privilege and honour for Tuvalu to be part of the technical meeting and listen to different ideas and thoughts about the importance of soils and their connections to human, and natural resources and to biodiversity. Small island countries and atolls face challenges in building capacity and are looking for ways to improve soil fertility which is suitable for atolls, so I look forward to solid and immediate action to address these soil issues.”
The PSP was established in 2014 under the Global Soil Partnership to promote sustainable soil management in the Pacific and is being hosted by SPC. Key areas of focus include developing soil management solutions, strengthening soil information systems, and enhancing laboratory capacity for soil analysis.
