Dr. Siosiua Moala Halavatau, recently appointed as Tonga’s Minister for Agriculture, Food, and Forests, emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships and adopting climate-smart agriculture during a press conference last Friday.
“We have to improve our partnerships with other stakeholders,” he said, highlighting the roles of various sectors, including lands and survey, education, health, and non-governmental organizations.
He said the ministry’s approach has been on driving economic growth through agriculture, but we must understand that “the economy is underpinned by the environment including climate change.”
Halavatau reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to food security and enhancing livelihoods, saying, “The ministry’s focus on food security and improving livelihood is still there but we are trying to identify what is there to change.”
Reflecting on past perceptions, Halavatau said, “Thirty years ago agriculture was to blame for climate change but now it has changed, agriculture is a solution.”
He spoke on climate-smart agriculture, emphasizing the need to work smarter, enhance partnerships, utilize appropriate technology, and maintain environmental balance to ensure the health and well-being of the people.
Addressing education, Halavatau criticized the a focus on schools winning trophies, saying, “We should have students graduating from schools who know how to take care of them physically and their lives.”
Halavatau has extensive background in soil science and sustainable agriculture.
