Climate Change and Agriculture in Vanuatu

Teouma Bush Pilote Site, East Efate, Vanuatu

One of the most urgent and serious issues facing Vanuatu is the negative impact of Climate Change. The population living in rural areas depends heavily on Agriculture and most people found in Vanuatu lives in the rural settlements with food production a key livelihood activity.

Since our program’s inception in Vanuatu, we have tried to expand the participation of young farmers in the agricultural sector, specifically through training's and workshops to build up knowledge and capacity.
As all Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are already experiencing the negative impacts of climate change, especially as these countries are of the most vulnerable to 
environmental hazards and often have insufficient adaptation resources. Sea‐level rise, changes in precipitation patterns and rising temperatures are causing secondary impacts of coastal erosion, salt water intrusion, cyclone damage, pest and disease outbreaks, water insecurity and declining agricultural production. 

According to the 2009 population census, 76% (176,816 people) of Vanuatu’s population are based in rural areas and practice

Vanuatu, Teouma Futuna Pilote Site

traditional agriculture to provide for their dietary needs and income. Traditionally, root crops (yam, taro, manioc (Kasava), sweet potato and plantains) are a fundamental part of Ni-Vanuatu diets and have been for the past 2,000 years. These foods are generally used because of their ability to withstand weather extremes, pests and other destructive situations, but there are still challenges being faced today.  Increased consumption of imported foods and population growth have resulted in a decrease in the 
cultivation of these crops and therefore, some methods of production that were used in the past to deal with climate extremes have been lost. As climate and weather 
patterns change, the food security of Vanuatu is increasingly vulnerable. 

The Asian Development Bank reports that “With projected temperature increases, heat tolerance thresholds to crops are being reached which induces heat stress, wilting and crop failure. Subsistence crop production is falling as a result and in turn threatens food security.” Changes to rainfall in Vanuatu are impacting agricultural production, in addition to future projections of;

• decreasing overall precipitation
• extreme rainfalls during storm events
• increase evaporation and
• more pronounced dry season

The people and community of Teouma are leading the way 

in the use of innovative agricultural practices for adapation. 

One farming system for adaptation is alley

Alley Cropping Trial Technique

cropping. 

Gliricidia trees are intercropped with dwarf beans followed 

by root crops in the second rotation. Trial plots are 

cultivated with different techniques for comparison e.g. 

with/without weeding, with/without mulching, soil nutrient 

improvement etc. to establish best practice conditions for 

growth, quantity, quality and climate tolerance. The trees 

provide protection from extreme wind events, reduce soil 

temperature and sun exposure, and also help to keep the 

roots moist. This is in addition to the normal benefits of 

using leguminous Gliricidia as a soil enriching plant.

One of the staple diets of Ni-Vanuatu people is island 

cabbage but this crop often fails first with heavy rain and 

drought events. 

+30 Varities of sweer potato

The community in Teouma is working to 

establish the most hardy and productive local varieties to 

withstand extreme rainfall, drought and heat by on-farm 

testing 30+ different types of island cabbage and 

monitoring their growth and productivity. 

Research by VARTC (Vanuatu Agricultural Research & 

Training Centre) on Santo has led to new varieties of yam 

and kumala that are now trialled in Teouma to identify 

climate change resilient varieties suitable for the local area. 

20+ different kumala species from different areas of 

Vanuatu have been planted to establish the most suitable 

one for local climatic conditions and extreme events. 

These changes influence agricultural planting, maintenance and harvesting methods, as well as the production capability of agricultural systems. Intense rainfall events during planting seasons damage seedlings, water-log soils, reduce growth and provide conditions that promote the development of plant pathogens, pests and diseases. The SPC-GIZ program is working with Vanuatu’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to test and trial specific adaptation methodologies in farming communities. 

On Efate, SPC-GIZ has initiated pilot activities in the Teouma Community. At the end of this project, farmers in the Teouma Pilot Site should have increased understanding of: 

•  climate change predictions and forecasts 
•  climate change impacts on agriculture 
•  weather patterns and their impact on agriculture (agrometeo training) 
• techniques to improve soil fertility 
•  techniques to improve agriculture production in times of heavy rain and drought 
•  methods to identify resilient crop varieties for continuous planting 
•  techniques to minimize wind damage to crops 
• techniques to rapidly propagate and multiply resistant varieties 
• agriculture business management (farming as a business training module) 

The program is currently focusing on the identification of varieties of kumala, cabbage and yam that respond well to local climate change impacts, as well as alley cropping farming practices for climate resilience