Agro-forestry and Trade(The Case of Samoa)

Tuulima LaitiAugust 24 – 28, 2015

Presentation for Regional Research & Extension Workshop Samoa

A farmer’s perspective

1. Agro-forestry’s contribution to food security

2. Agro-forestry’s contribution to trade - Primary production v’s value adding

3. Agro-forestry v’s mono-cropping

1. Agro-forestry’s contribution to food security

• Will look at the literature and see what has been said and written about this topic w/ regards to Samoa

• Do a general analysis and throw in some thoughts of the test of time

Agro-forestry’s contribution to Food Security?

• In contrast to other Third World countries, the situation in the rural economy in (Western) Samoa is one of subsistence plenty. … Fruits and vegetables of many varieties grow with little intensive cultivation and all villages maintain an entourage of chickens and pigs supplemented with marine products. In purely subsistence terms, (W) Samoa enjoy a fairly high standard of living and it is only when we consider the economy in modern terms that the situation alters.

(Te’o I.J. Fairbairn, 1985.)

Agro-forestry’s contribution to Food Security?

• “Samoa provides the most striking example of the surprising resiliency of small economies to external economic shocks and natural disasters particularly cyclones, a resiliency that in no small measure can be attributed to Samoa’s traditional cropping systems.” (McGregor, 1999).

Agro-forestry’s contribution to Food Security?

• “The subsistence production systems are the most sustainable because of its lower levels of inputs and the high demand for the products (pigs, chickens and cattle) for both home consumption and more importantly for use in ‘fa’alavelave’.”

(Animal Genetic Resources Report For Samoa, Ministry for Agriculture, 2003).

1. Agro-forestry’s contribution to trade

Primary production

Markets for Agro-forestry Farm Produce• Export – coconuts, cocoa and taro• Supermarkets, hotels, etc. - vegetables• Processed foods of all kinds – canned “lu’au”• Animal feed• Traditional/cultural occasions – funerals,

weddings, etc• Bio-fuels & biomass – income & energy• Manufacturing – furnitures• And so forth

My Small Farm and Tiny Nursery

Local chickens

Black beauties

One year old macadamia tree

Dragonfruit genepoolNursery – Macadamia seedlings

Dragon fruit – 2014 season

Road side farmer stalls and other outlets

Saleimoa Market

Farmer stall - Lotopa

Afega MarketFarmer stalls - Lotopa

Matautu outlet

Farmer stall-Faatoia

Fugalei (Samoa) Farmers’ Market

Firewood Cooked “ulu”

Variety of Farm produce Coconuts

Handicraft

Locally prepared tobacco known as “Tipi”

2. Agro-forestry’s contribution to trade

Primary production v’s value adding

• For too long and too often we have been focusing on planting and growing

• Its time to change our focus – value adding• Industry/Private sector focus• For agro-forestry farming to have a major

impact on income generation, processing/value-adding is the answer!

Value-Adding Opportunities and New Markets

• Timber species of high value - Sandalwood• Furniture manufacturing• Non-timber forest products (e.g. honey)• Processed foods of all kinds• Bio-fuels & biomass – income & energy• Fodder crops• Etc. etc.

Variety of value added agro-products

Processing & Value adding – the solution to the financial woes of Samoa’s economy

Grizzy’s (Samoa) canned coconut cream and “lu’au”

Tomasi Labalaba’s coconut shell ear rings & other items

Strickland Bros furniture factory, Vaitele, Samoa

“Tava” door

“Tava” bench

“Ifilele” table

Coconut timberWood mats: Various

local timber

3. Agro-forestry v’s mono-croppingIn terms of income generation

• Lack of available information/data to make and informed answer

• Many factors contribute to the success of each

• Samoa’s agricultural sector will continue as subsistence-based for the long term

• Minimal opportunity for economy of scale

EXPORTS BY COMMODITY

Value in thousands of tala

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Coconut cream - Volume (metric tons) -Value

4632069

3151401

215991

15

Nonu Juice - Volume (‘000 ltrs) -Value

6902799

5442379

5011990

10033564

5832316

7113033

8323486

Taro – Volume (‘000 cases) - Value

6858

6875

111109

8669

9793

161395

241904

Virgin Oil – Volume (metric tons - Value

13133

24193

16148

21130

26295

36469

22265

Coconut Oil – Volume (metric tons) - Value

21104

18091989

22883549

25096979

39358022

13921701

14303137

Copra meal – Volume (metric tons) - Value

10552

1100329

1252468

3061441

3908717

1121201

2094690

Coconuts – Volume (pieces) - Value

746454

832455

783440

864583

728453

173118

840567

Fish – Volume (metric tons) - Value

192212,246

270116,539

215813,436

14999444

164310,394

13258176

111196

Other Exports (Value) - Banana - Ava - Samoan cocoa - Drinking coconut - Vegetables - Handicrafts - Timber

50

818130588

70

558430250

161

528227249

133532

1013631

76

3987163

10

110

32311307

330

44247

2834

IMPORTS CLASSIFIED BY BROAD CLASSIFICATIONAmounts in Tala thousands, fob

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Live animals and animal products56,898 62,684 60,360 62,899 67,258

Vegetable products26,695 32,864 33,616 28,860 31,080

Animal & vegetable fats & oils3598 6688 4590 5547 5867

Prepared food stuffs, beverages & tobacco 61,809 67,233 66,821 67,377 74,471

Woods and articles of wood24,410 20,402 19,684 24,678 25,692

Miscellaneous manufactured articles12,333 11,099 9295 9430 12,333

Work of art, collectors pieces and antiques 8 23 6 13 44

Mineral Products - petroleum140,702 191,609 124,585 150,407 184,473

“I wish every chief in these islands would turn to and work and build roads and sow fields and plant

food trees and educate his children and improve his talents for the love of his brothers and his children

and the whole body of generations yet unborn.”

Robert Louis StevensonApia, Western Samoa, 1894.

IT’S A SMALL WORLD, SO SEE YOU AGAIN SOMEWHERE.

CHEERS!