Page 16 - Islands Business March 2023

Agriculture

Charle David Nasu on his farm

Pam in 2015, a category five system that killed 15 people and higher land” so it faces the sunrise and sunset, but it means
destroyed 96% of Vanuatu’s food crops. the crops are destroyed “every time a cyclone comes in”.
The value of kava exports plummeted to VUV $180million “It’s probably 95% destroyed and probably 5% that is still
(US$148,000). lying there … either going to die or shoot up again.”
“After the cyclone, we have to collect branches that have Vanuatu’s guidelines suggest kava is grown over five years.
been damaged, then we re-plant it,” Charle says. While it is commonly harvested when mature, some farmers
“That’s where we bring back kava. It takes around three to wait longer to grow bigger crops to sell.
four years.” When cyclones hit, destroying years of growth in a matter
Charle says his ancestors grew big and healthy kava crops, of days, it takes farmers years to rebuild, Joseph says.
but climate change has meant the stems grow slower, and
smaller, and lumps have formed on the roots affecting the Leading by example
quality. Vanuatu has made bold policy commitments and continues
“That usually comes when there is a lot of rain,” he says. to demand swift and decisive action on climate change by
“Our farmers today, they face big problems growing kava.” countries like Australia.
It is a familiar story at Port Resolution, home to generations Last November at the COP27, the nation called on the Inter-
of Werry Narua’s family, who have witnessed the changes. national Court of Justice (ICJ) requesting an advisory opinion
“I am regretting to see things have been changing a lot,” he to inform states’ climate obligations, to protect climate-vul-
says. nerable countries like Vanuatu.
“On the sides of the cliffs here, [the] rising level of the But back on the farm, dealing with temperatures “much
ocean, that is pressuring a lot of the land and we have soil hotter than before”, Charle says kava growers like him, and
erosion.” now his eldest son who has started helping on the farm, carry
Changes in trade winds also affect communities living near the burden on their own.
volcanos, such as Werry’s which overlooks the active Mount “People from Vanuatu are completely different. When we
Yasur. face problems, you cannot see that we are in them,” he says.
“If the ash and acid (rain) come over they damage the “We always like to resolve our problems ourselves, on our
crops,” he says. own, that’s our traditional ways.
“There should be help from somewhere to assist us,” Charle
Cyclones ‘root the whole plant out’ said.
Despite the hardships, Joseph Brun says some farmers have At Port Resolution, Werry and his community have no choice
learned inventive ways to make their crops more resilient to but to continuously prepare, as best they can, for heavy rain-
cyclones. fall, landslides, and cyclones.
“[When] there’s a warning for cyclones, they have to chip “We have to find a way to live along with these types of
all the branches out, so it can still [protect] itself,” he says. activities that are affecting our village community here,” he
“If the branches are laying down, the wind doesn’t destroy says.
the whole plant,” he said. “I think it will keep on coming. It won’t stop.”
Otherwise, the cyclone can “root the whole plant out.” editor@islandsbusiness.com
Joseph says the crop is planted on the “sloped side of

16 Islands Business, March 2023
16 Islands Business, March 2023