Overview
ACIAR is part of the Pacific family. Since 1982, we have been funding and connecting Australian researchers with their counterparts throughout the Pacific, helping reduce poverty and improve food security.
In 2022-23 we are investing more than A$18 million in agricultural research and partnerships across 8 countries in the Pacific region, including Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
ACIAR research in the Pacific
The countries of the western Pacific region are set apart from the rest of the world. Many are small and geographically isolated, have limited land mass and arable land, fragile natural environments and few resources. Increasingly, they are more vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change than many other regions of the world.
Each country in this region faces specific development and agricultural challenges including small formal economies, long distances from major markets, high costs and rapidly growing populations that hamper economic growth. Governance and capacity constraints in some countries also limit their ability to deliver services. These challenges make it difficult to respond and recover from disasters and climate change effects, which are prominent in the region.
A key focus of our program within the Pacific region will be enabling regional collaboration in research and capacity-building to address common issues and opportunities. This regional approach includes various projects addressing biosecurity, climate-resilient livelihoods and opportunities for stronger agribusiness development. Multi-country projects and linked programs include:
- fisheries (pathways to change in Pacific coastal fisheries)
- forestry (domestication and breeding of sandalwood, agroforestry and catchment rehabilitation)
- crops (sweetpotato, indigenous vegetables, commercial vegetables, tropical fruits and cocoa)
- soil information and soil health.
Learn more about our investment in the Pacific.
