Promoting regional trade and agribusiness development in the Pacific

2nd PACIFIC AGRIBUSINESS FORUM

LINKING THE AGRIFOOD SECTOR TO THE LOCAL MARKETS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND IMPROVED FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY

Organised by PIPSO, CTA, IFAD, SPC and SPTO

Apia, Samoa, 29th August – 1st September 2016

**For Twitter coverage follow #PacAgriBiz and #PacAgriTo **

New ! articles on agribusiness in the Pacific

Top Chefs showcase Pacific flavours at Regional Agribusiness Forum in Apia, Samoa
Pacific cuisine is to feature as part of the forthcoming 2^nd Pacific Agribusiness Forum, taking place from August 29 to September 1 in Apia, Samoa. A special Chefs Training Programme on “Pacific Contemporary Island Cuisine” will see renowned regional chefs Robert Oliver and Colin Chung provide training on innovative uses of Pacific ingredients and advocate in favour of greater consumption of local products…[Read More]

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OUTCOMES

Programme and Background Note

Learn More:

**Draft Programme**

Monday 29th August 2016

Workshop Pacific Women in Agribusiness (9h00-13h00)

– Click here for the Workshop page

– Programme and Background Note

Field visits to Women in Business Development Inc (WIBDI) and Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTEC) (14h00-17h00)

Parallel Chefs Training Programme organised by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) on 29 and 30th August (9h00-17h00) which will culminate with the Chefs for Development Dinner: Contemporary Island Cuisines.

– Click here for the Workshop page

– Programme

Tuesday 30th August 2016

8h00-9h00 Registration

9h00-9h45 Opening session

Formal opening: Honourable Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi,
Prime Minister of Samoa

Opening Prayer: Reverend Dr Siaosi Salesulu

Opening remarks:
– Patrick Polacsek, Programme Manager, Delegation of the European Union for the Pacific
– Maximin J. Emagna, Private Sector & Investment Expert, Sustainable Economic Development & Trade Department, Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP)
– Papalii Matatamalii Sonja Hunter, Chair Lady, South Pacific Tourism Organisation
– Ronald Hartman Country Director, Asia and the Pacific Division, IFAD
– Isolina Boto, Manage Brussels Office and Project Leader on Regional Trade, CTA
– Mereia Volavola, CEO, Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO)

9h45-10h15 Coffee break and group photo

10h15-11h45 Session 1: Opportunities for the Pacific Agrifood Sector in local markets: trends and successes in promoting quality, nutritious and healthy food

This panel will feature opportunities and successes in local and regional markets in key value chains aimed at reducing the import bill and contributing to nutrition security. Special focus will address added-value and processed food and strengthening the capacities of local producers to supply more food to meet demands for nutritious and healthy diets.
Moderator: H.E Dr Pa’olelei Luteru, Ambassador of Samoa, Coordinator of the ACP SIDS Platform
Panellists:
– Key value chains in the Pacific region: successes and new opportunities
Mereia Volavola, CEO, Pacific Island Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO) [presentation]
– MSG agrifood exports and strategy in support of agrifood producers
Henry Sanday, Private Sector Development Advisor, MSG [presentation]
– Promoting consumption of fruits & vegetables: opportunities in local markets
Michael Finau Brown, CEO, Nature’s Way Cooperative [presentation]
– Successes in Hydroponics: promoting consumption of fresh vegetables
James Douglas, Owner, Niue Fresh Hydroponics [presentation]
– Agriculture and nutrition linkages: lessons for policy
Desmond Lee-Hang, National University of Samoa [presentation]

11h45-13h15 Session 2: Strengthening the organisation of the value chain actors for improved market access

The purpose of this session is to explore ways on how to effectively engage farmers into the supply chain and change the culture and attitude towards farming, supply and development and promote entrepreneurship.
Moderator: Ronald Hartman, Country Director, Asia and the Pacific Division, IFAD
Panellists:
– Strengthening farmer’s organisations to better access markets
Afamasaga Toleafoa, Chairman, Pacific Islands Farmer Organisations Network (PIFON) [presentation]
– Improved market access for high-value vegetable products through participant guarantee system
Rob Erskine Smith, Agribusiness Expert, PGS Project Leader
– From Farm to Table: Building the capacity of farmers for the local and export markets
Vargas Rasch, Senior Field Officer, Women in Business Development Inc (WIBDI), Samoa
– Strengthening farmers and communities to boost local and export production
Isoa Tubuna, Island Express Limited, Fiji [presentation]
– Strengthening youth and women entrepreneurship: best practices
Asif Chida, Inclusive Growth and Private Sector Specialist, UNDP Pacific Centre

13h15-14h30 Lunch

14h30-16h00 Ensuring quality compliance of quality standards for value-added products

This session will look at the compliance of standards for inclusive value chains and the need to strengthen capacities of the operators. A real case example and how the marketing company developed the branding and marketing of the company’s product will be shared.
Moderator: Laulu Mac Leauanae, CEO, Pacific Cooperation Foundation
Panellists:
– Importance of Food Safety standards in value adding
Api Cegumalua, Consultant, Fiji [presentation]
– Sustainability standards
Morag Webb, Policy Advisor, Coleacp [presentation]
– Certification processes for key markets
Bob Wyllie, Vanuatu Direct
– Successes/opportunities in organic production: Pacific Organic Tourism & Hospitality Standard
Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the Pacific Community [presentation]

18h00-19h00 CTA-IFAD-PIPSO Project Grow Healthy: Launch and Cocktail.
Tanoa Tusitala Hotel

19h00-22h00 Chefs for Development: Contemporary Island Cuisine
prepared by the Chefs attending the Chef Training, Tanoa Tusitala Hotel

Wednesday 31st August 2016

9h00-9h30 Summary Day 1

9h30-13h00 Session 3: Addressing tourism-related markets: from policy to practice

This session will build upon the findings and successes developed from the 1st Pacific Agribusiness Forum in terms of promoting multisectoral and multistakeholder approaches to strengthen linkages between agriculture, tourism, trade and health sectors. It will look at policies and practices promoting local sourcing for improved quality and heathy food. It will feature the first agritourism policy-setting work being developed by Vanuatu and “Buy Samoan-made” trend.

9h30-11h15 Strengthening the chain actors to in serving tourism markets and branding the region as quality food destination
Moderator: Chris Addison, Regional Coordinator for the Pacific, CTA
Panellists:
– Trends in the tourism industry and factors influencing tourist choice of holiday destination and food consumed.
Chris Cocker, CEO, South Pacific Tourism Organization [presentation]
– What do we know about tourism expectations?
Dawn Gibson, Senior Lecturer Tourism and Hospitality, School of Tourism and Hospitality, USP [presentation]
– ACP-EU experiences in promoting food tourism
Isolina Boto, Project Leader Regional Trade, CTA [presentation]
– Successes in the Pacific in linking agriculture and tourism: the perspective of Chefs
Chef Robert Oliver [presentation]
– Successes in the Caribbean in linking agriculture and tourism
Ena Harvey, Expert in Agritourism, IICA, Caribbean [presentation]
– How Chefs can promote health and nutrition values of food
Chef Colin Chung

11h15-11h45 Coffee break

11h45-13h00 The Vanuatu context: linking agriculture, tourism and health through agritourism policy-setting
Moderator: Hobart Va’ai, Chief Executive Officer, Samoa Chamber of Commerce
Panellists:
– From policy to practice: linkages of agriculture with trade and tourism
Kathy Garoleo, Department of Tourism, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism
– Towards an agritourism strategy: New business opportunities
Ross Hopkins, Principal, TRIP Consultants [presentation]
– The role of the private sector in promoting cross-sectoral linkages
Terry Adlington, Managing Director, Tanna Coffee, Vanuatu
– Perspective from an agritourism experience
Carolyn Ernst, Yo Ku Farm Rentaboa

13h00-14h15 Lunch

14h15-15h30 ‘Buy Samoan-made’
This session will present some of the iconic Samoa products which contribute to brand the island.
Moderator: Sakiusa Tubuna, Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Pacific Asia and the Pacific Division, IFAD
Panellists:
– Towards an agritourism strategy for Samoa: strengths and opportunities
Papalii Matatamalii Sonja Hunter, CEO, Samoa Tourism Association
– “Buy Samoa Made” Export Drive
Colin Stringer, Technical Advisor, Samoa Association of Manufacturers (SAME)
– Organic Nonu juice
Garry Vui, Managing Director, Nonu Samoa entreprises Ltd
– Samoa Nonu Delights
Faumuina Apulu Lance Polu, General Manager
– The branding and marketing strategies
Apia Bottling Company

15h30-16h00 Support programmes in the agribusiness sector
– The Pacific Agricultural Policy Programme (PAPP), SPC
Cheryl Thomas, Policy research Officer, SPC
– COLEACP: E-learning Platform
Morag Webb, Policy Advisor, Coleacp
– Agribusiness support through PIPSO online platform
Maria Ronna Luna Pastorizo-Sekiguchi, Communications Expert, PIPSO

16h00-16:15 Coffee break

16h15-17h15 Working group sessions

Thursday 1st September 2016

9h00-9h30 Summary Day 2

9h30-11.00 Session 4: Agribusiness Financing: Innovative financial Solutions to support Agribusiness

This session will look at what is constraining SMEs and how can financial institutions provide workable solutions for sustainable agribusiness development.
Moderator: Mereia Volavola, CEO, PIPSO
Panellists:
– Supporting SMEs in the Samoan Context – What works and what does not work?
Alatina Ioelu, Chief Executive Office, Small Business Enterprises Centre, Samoa [presentation]
– Developing Agribusiness Financial Products – Is there a market for it and how should products be developed?
Napolioni Batimala, Chief Executive Office, Merchant Finance Limited, Fiji
– Challenges in lending to Agribusiness SMEs and how can access to finance to agribusiness improved?
Susana Laulu, Chief Executive Office, Development Bank of Samoa
– Partnering with Developments in lending to Farmers- the Nadarivatu Farmers Project (Fiji)
Howard Politini, PIPSO Chairperson, and the General Manager Human Resources at Bank South Pacific [presentation]
– Business support services and financing sustainable agribusinesses: improving product quality
Ian Buck, Facility Manager, ADB Samoa AgriBusiness Project [presentation]
– Areas of support from EIB to the agribusiness sector
Adam Bruun, Head of Office, Regional Office for the Pacific,European Investment Bank [presentation]

11h00-11h30 Coffee break

11h30-11h45 Women in agribusiness
– Mereia Volavola, CEO, PIPSO

11h45-13h00 Working group sessions

13h00-14h15 Lunch

14h15-15h45 Final session
Based on previous input and discussions in working groups, this session will make few actionable recommendations for short, long and medium term.
It will: (i) generate ideas for a regional project on sustainable sourcing from small-scale farmers and value addition in the agribusiness sector; (ii) identify upscaling opportunities for linking small-scale farmers to domestic markets and the tourism industry in the Pacific; (iii) determine sources of support, institutions and strategic alliances needed to strengthen relations between chain actors in the Pacific for nutritious and healthy food.

15h45-16h15 Closure