Figure: FAO and National Agricultural Research officers demonstrate the sweet potato single vine planting technique, as women farmers observe. © FAO Papua New Guinea.
FAO News - 06/09/2023
In Papua New Guinea's highlands, sweet potato is more than a staple food, it's a lifeline for thousands of smallholder farmers. Known locally as 'kaukau,' this tuber has been a cornerstone of sustenance and income. However, the challenges of climate change, pests, and diseases have put this vital crop at risk.
In response to this challenge, colleagues in my office, at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Papua New Guinea, have stepped in, embodying the ethos of 'Better Production' through innovative sweet potato breeding and conservation.
At this point, let me introduce a key individual that my team has been working with. Moureen Mokai, is a woman from Hoiebia village in Tari, Hela Province. As a single parent and a Ward Councillor, Moureen has long partnered with FAO to improve agricultural practices in her community. "Climate change affects us enormously," she told us, highlighting the vulnerability of traditional sweet potato varieties to different environmental conditions.
See https://www.fao.org/news/countries-good-practices/article/en/c/1649852/
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