Research Priorities
Food and nutritional security
This subprogram has two major emphases. First, it aims to develop and implement strategies to underpin improved and sustainable productivity and quality of food staples and high-value horticultural crops, with a particular emphasis on ICM, including management of crop pests and diseases. The second emphasis is to increase household incomes through market-driven diversification of production by exploitation of new market niches, genetic diversity, new products and value-adding.
Agriculture, fisheries and forestry resource management and development
This program aims at developing and implementing strategies to sustainably manage, use and value-add to natural resources associated with agriculture, forestry and fisheries production. The fisheries project cluster has two focuses: freshwater aquaculture and mariculture of sedentary species, which provide greater opportunity for income generation at the local level; and management of near-shore artisanal fisheries. The forestry projects relate to emerging value-adding opportunities for plantation trees such as teak, sandalwood, whitewood and Flueggea, as well as research into processing opportunities for coconut wood from senile plantations.
Agriculture, fisheries and forestry value chains
This program aims to support the identification and development of opportunities for domestic, inter-island and international trade for agricultural, fisheries and forestry products, with a view to increasing economic growth in PICs. It includes a range of activities on both a regional and individual-country basis, including market research, strengthening of agribusiness linkages, analysing and increasing the efficiency of value chains, and identifying and developing value-adding opportunities. There are several opportunities for underpinning other development-focused programs (e.g. the EU-funded Increasing Agricultural Commodity Trade in the Pacific); providing R&D support for the PHAMA AusAID-funded program; and providing research innovation to support implementation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)-managed Food Security and Sustainable Likelihoods Program.
