The Vanuatu Agriculture Sector Policy maps a sustainable development pathway for the agriculture sector to ensure maximum benefit, lasting utility and equitable distribution of outputs for the people of Vanuatu.

This Agriculture Sector Policy, underpinned by social, economic, ecological and cultural principles and sustainable development pillars, is organised around 13 thematic areas, each of which is underpinned by one or more Specific Policy Objective.

Thematic area no. 12 concerns Climate Variability, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction and follows disaster and climate resilient agriculture as its specific objective. Its main policy directive is to mainstream climate variability, climate change and disaster risk reduction using adaptation and mitigation strategies in all agriculture initiatives and developments:

All stakeholders consider climate variability, climate change and disaster risk reduction in all agricultural development initiatives;
Consider climate variability, climate change and disaster risk reduction in all farming practices;
Build risk reduction capacity of farming communities through training and awareness to adapt and mitigate effects of climate variability, climate change and natural disasters;
Provide adequate funding for activities to address climate variability, climate change and disaster risk reduction;
Promote adaptive strategies in all agricultural development initiatives;
Promote adaptive strategies in all farming practices;
Promote mitigation strategies in all development initiatives;
Promote mitigation strategies in all farming practices;
Develop collaborative networks with national and international agencies to address climate change, climate variability and disaster risks;
Develop collaborative networks with national and international agencies regarding REDD+ initiatives and implement REDD+ activities and projects;
Strengthen traditional and self-reliant agricultural systems through development and implementation of programs with components that encourage growing traditional climate-resilient staple crops;
Prioritise micro and meso-scale (broad) land use planning to reduce land and water degradation to reduce climate-related losses and vulnerability and maximize local production;
Facilitate and coordinate research to develop stress-tolerant crop varieties, introduce new crops, and manage pests for climate change adaptation;
Trial novel community extension models which enhance climate adaptation adoption, at the same time as decentralising technology development and enabling service delivery by non-government and civil society stakeholders;
Design and maintain a climate risk-informed decision support system using geographic information system (GIS) to optimise the planning and design of crucial agricultural adaptation investment project;
Direct diversification efforts towards reducing reliance on climate-sensitive farming practices and crops in high-risk areas and towards fast yielding high value crops to give farmers more fungible assets for adaptation;
Monitor, evaluate and report on climate change, climate variability and disaster risk reduction agricultural issues initiatives and outcomes in accordance with the National Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and the National Sustainable Development Plan.

Vanuatu Agriculture Sector Policy

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