ARDYIS Web 2.0 Training and Exchange Workshop

ARDYIS Web 2.0 Training and Exchange Workshop participants

The web 2.0 training workshop was organized and facilitated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Technical Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CTA) in Nadi, Fiji at the Tanoa International Hotel. The training mainly focuses on youth and ways in which they can promote agriculture in means of collaborating information online with the use of information and communications technology (ICT). The training was officially opened by the Secretary, Ministry of Primary Industries, Mr Ropate Ligairi and remarks from  Dr Ken Cokanasiga, coordinator for Animal Health and Production (AH&P) from SPC.

Participants having a group discussion

There were 27 participants from all over the Pacific region under the Pacific state of SPC (Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu), and the training took place from the 16th to the 20th September 2013. 

In our training we learned about many things in regards to using social media to share and exchange information about something, this includes using Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and so forth. We were taught how to create agricultural blogs for our own countries to promote and portray information regarding agricultural standards and overviews for a targeted audience to follow up on. Blogging can simply be defined as a professional social media website where an individual records or post up information on a specific subject on a regular basis, where people can read and comment on. It is purposely designed to help people collaborate information online, but in our training its about sharing information regarding agriculture.

Youth and Agriculture in Niue

old farmer with harvested yams

Niue has approximately 1,600 people in total, however probably 3/5 of the population are elderly and 1/5 of youth have migrated to New Zealand because they believe they have better future there and they do not want to waste their time around planting taro, farming the pigs and all sorts of thing to be involve with in Agriculture. Agriculture is all about getting your hands dirty, having a sore back after a long day at work, however the most positive outcome of it is when it is being harvested. This is what the youth nowadays do not understand and I believe that this is the biggest challenge youths have, the lack of understanding. 

The youths of today do not want to be involved in agriculture. Not saying that agriculture alone can fix our problems but it would be a way to overcome the challenges brought on by the on-going global economic crisis! Youths nowadays prefer to have things come to the way easily, go to work, get the money and buy the crops from the market and the shops. 

Thus, they do not understand that these are the things that can be free, only if they get involved with agriculture. Specifically speaking about Niue, People tend to look down farmers, having to be called a farmer is pointed to be a low rank, this is one reason why youths haves strayed themselves away from being involved in agriculture. They rather sit in an office, then to out in the field, but little did they know “ Agriculture is unique in that it is connected to all of the essential needs required to sustain life.Yes,the essential needs for each of us:Food, Water,Shelter and Clothing .” Having an elderly population is one disadvantage of Niue in agriculture, as these old farmers will pass on with their skill and knowledge if the youth are willing to learn. 

youth learning the roots of agriculture

One way of getting the youth into farming or agriculture is teaching them at an early age. As they say “The challenges of engaging young people in agriculture must be addressed especially by their families & communities, & their immediate supporting environment. Each must provide an enabling environment for active & increased participation of young people in agriculture since the family, the community, the church & the state are the most significant youth support groups.” Therefore the biggest challenge youth have in agriculture is lack of understanding. That is why we should have more programs, projects and other activities so to shine the light on how agriculture is not only about cultivating of crops, land and so forth but also inheriting knowledge and skills that can be passed on from generation to generation for their future benefit.