Opening Remarks by Hon. La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries at Validation Workshop for Samoa’s Hand In Hand Initiative[...]

Tanoa Hotel Apia, Samoa

Date - Thursday, 19 th September 2024

Afioga Xiangjun Yao, Fa'atonu o le Ofisa a le FAO mo le Pasefika,

Afioga i Sui o Pa'aga Fa'a-va-o-Malo,

Afioga i Sui o Pa'aga mo Atina'e,

Ma Paaga i le Vaega Ma'oti tau Faatoaga.

Talofa lava. E ia te au le ava ma le fa'aaloalo e fa'afeiloa'i atu ai i lo outou paia ma mamalu i lenei fonotaga taua, mo le fa'amaoniga o le Fuafuaga o Tupe Fa'afaigaluega mo Samoa i lalo o le polokalame "Hand-in-Hand-Initiative" (HIHI). O le asō, ua tatou 'au fa'atasi e opogi ma lagolago lenei fa'amoemoe taua - le Malo, Fa'alapotopotoga, Pa'aga mo Atina'e, aemaise lava i nai a tatou 'aufaifa'atoaga, o le fatu lea o le Vaega Ma'oti tau Fa'atoga.

O lenei polokalame ua mafai ona tu'ufa'atasia i le lagolagosua a le mamalu o le atunuu, aemaise le Vaega Mao'ti tau Fa'atoaga. Na amata mai i iloiloga ma fa'atalatalanoaga ma pa'aga talafeagai, ma fa'ai'u i fa'asoa eseese mai le ulua'i fonotaga mo lenei fa'amoemoe, sa fa'atautaia i le aso 15 o Aokuso 2024. O nei la iloiloga ma fa'atalatalanoaga, ua fa'avae ai le fa'atulagaina o lenei fuafuaga tau tupe fa'afaigaluega mo le si'itia o le tatou tamaoaiga.

O le taulaiga o le Fuafuaga o Tupe Fa'afaigaluega a le HIHI mo Samoa, ua mautu ma lava tapena. Ua filifilia le KOKO, NIU ma le TALO e ave i ai le fa'amuamua mo lea fa'amoemoe. O ia la'au toto, e telē lo latou sao taua i a tatou tu ma aganu'u, tamaoaiga, ma taumafa mo lo tatou atunu'u.

O le sini autu i lenei taeao, ia o tatou mautinoa, o lo'o atagia i le fuafuaga lenei leo ma le sao taua o pa'aga autu uma. O le au faifa'atoaga, 'au gaosi oloa, pa'aga tau atina'e, ma e o lo'o i ai tomai fa'apitoa i le atina'eina o tatou laufanua-o la outou fa'asoa o le a faufau ai manatu mo le fa'aleleia atili o le tatou fuafuaga lenei (investment plan). E tatau ona tatou mautinoa, ia avea lenei taumafaiga o se fuafuaga e mafai ona fa'atinoina, ae le gata i lea, ia ō gatasi ma mana'oga o tatou tagata.

A o tatou tapena atu mo le Fonotaga tele o Taumafa a le Lalolagi i le masina fou Oketopa 2024, e fiafia e fa'ailoa atu, o le a tu'uina atu la tatou fuafuaga tau tupe fa'afaigaluega (investment plan) i lea fonotaga fa'avaomalo taua mo le fa'atalanoaina. O le fa'ailoga lea o lo tatou naunau e fausia se vaega ma'oti tau fa'atoaga mautu, e aofia tagata uma, ma gafataulimaina mo se manuia o tatou tagata ma tupulaga o le lumana'i.

Ou te fia fa'aleo le agaga fa'afetai i le Faalapotopotoga o Taumafa ma Fa'atoaga a Malo Aufa'atasi (FAO) mo lo latou lagolago malosi i lenei fa'agasologa, fa'apea fo'i ma pa'aga tau atina'e uma o lo'o fesoasoani mai i le unaia o atina'e eseese tau fa'atoaga Samoa.

Le mamalu ua mafai ona tatou fa'atasi i lenei taeao, o le galuega tatou te faia i le asō, o le atili fa'amalosia ai le fa'avae mo le lumana'i o le tatou vaega ma'oti tau fa'atoaga. Ou te fa'amalosi'au atu ia te outou, ia fefa'asoaa'i i manatu ma tomai talafeagai ina ia mautinoa le manuia o lenei polokalame.

Fa'afetai tele lava. Fa'afetai fa'apito mo e uma lava na tofu sao i le tau faufauina o lenei galuega taua. Ia fa'amanuia le Atua i a tatou taumafaiga mo le manuia o Samoa ma ona tagata.

Soifua ma ia manuia.

Madam Xiangjun Yao, Sub-Regional Coordinator, FAO Office in the Pacific,

Honourable Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Distinguished Development Partners,

Friends of our Agriculture Sector,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Talofa lava and warm greetings to you all,

It is my great honor and privilege to welcome you all, to this important workshop, to validate Samoa's Hand-in-Hand Initiative (HIHI) Investment Plan. Today, we come together as a community of stakeholders - Government, development partners, and most importantly, the farmers, who are at the heart, of our agriculture sector. Our shared goal is clear. We are here, to validate an investment plan, that will shape the future, of agriculture in Samoa, built on national priorities, expertise, and the deep insights, of those who work directly on the land.

This initiative, is not a stand-alone effort. It is the result of months, of hard work, beginning with an extensive literature review, and consultations with key stakeholders, and finishing with in the findings, from the HIHI Inception Workshop, which took place on the 15th of August 2024. These foundations, have given us the knowledge and direction, needed to formulate a complete investment plan, that will drive the transformation, of our food systems.

The focus of the Samoa HIHI Investment Plan, is strategic and deliberate. We have chosen three key value chain products-COCOA, COCONUT, and TARO-which hold cultural, economic, and nutritional significance for Samoa.

These products, are central to Samoa's agriculture, and offer great potential, for sustainable growth, food security, and increased income for our farmers.

Our aim today, is to ensure that this investment plan, reflects the voice of all key stakeholders, and your contributions today, are important. Farmers, producers, development partners, and experts in the field-all of you bring insights, that will strengthen the final product. We must ensure, that the plan we validate, is not only practical and doable, but deeply rooted, in the realities of Samoa's agriculture, and aligned with the aspirations of our people.

As we look ahead, to the World Food Forum in Rome, this coming October, we are excited, to present this investment plan, on the global stage. This is not just a plan. It is a reflection of our commitment, to build a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agriculture sector, that will benefit our communities, for generations to come. It represents a strategic pathway, for transforming our food systems, improving value chains, and ensuring food security for our people. Our hope is that, it will also serve as a model, for other nations, facing similar challenges.

Ladies and gentlemen, the work we do here today, will continue to strengthen the foundation, for the future of our agriculture sector. I encourage you all, to engage in useful dialogue, to challenge ideas, and to share your expertise, so that together, we can ensure the success of this initiative.

I wish to extend my deepest thanks, to FAO, for their solid support, throughout this process, and to all our development partners, who continue to stand with Samoa, in its journey to transform its agriculture.

Fa'afetai tele lava, thank you all for your hard work, and dedication to this cause.

May God bless our efforts, for the benefit of Samoa and its people.

Soifua ma ia manuia.

SOURCE - Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries - Samoa

Photos by Government of Samoa (Leota Marc Membrere)

September 27, 2024

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