Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative Phase 2 - PARDI 2
Background
An efficient and flourishing agribusiness sector is vital for sustainable, economic growth in Pacific island countries (PICs). Agribusiness is central to poverty reduction, especially in rural communities, and delivering an improved trade balance: both of which are key goals of Pacific island governments and their development partners.
In the Pacific however, agribusiness has many comparative disadvantages, compared with other parts of the globe with better infrastructure and vast markets and also compared with investment opportunities and returns in other sectors (such as retail and tourism). Indeed, durable and sustainable rural development is a challenging but vital task in the Pacific islands and one which requires an ongoing R&D effort to catalyse and inform a more vibrant, diverse and viable agribusiness sector. Despite the challenges, agribusiness has the potential to develop value chains in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors that are more efficient, more inclusive, and which take advantage of new opportunities for primary production, value-adding, and marketing.
Building on the approach in Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative (PARDI), there is an opportunity to both consider and determine why and how certain agribusiness developments have succeeded, to document their positive impacts on community livelihoods and investigate how best to extend and make their economic benefits more inclusive and sustainable. Furthermore there is an imperative to identify and overcome researchable constraints and bottlenecks in value and supply chains for primary products in which PICs have some experience and comparative advantages.
PARDI 2 is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and has a geographical focus on Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga (with extension to Kiribati, Samoa and Solomon Islands)
Project objectives
- Develop tools and knowledge for identifying successful and inclusive agribusiness development opportunities
- Identify market and value chain constraints, opportunities and solutions for selected Pacific products
- Evaluate the effectiveness of participatory guarantee systems for improving value chain linkages and performance for emerging market opportunities
- Implement and evaluate approaches for increasing agribusiness information availability, communication and research capacity
Project partners
Collaborating institutions:
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
- Southern Cross University, Australia
- University of Queensland, Australia
- University of the South Pacific
- Secretariat of the Pacific Community
- Pacific Islands Development Forum
- Pacific Islands Private Sector Organization
- Pacific Islands’ Farmer Organization Network (PIFON)
Funding:
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR project AGB/2014/057), 2017-2021.
Contact
GFAR researchers involved in this project: