Perceptions affecting agricultural development in Vanuatu: a comparison of two rural communities

Interviews in two rural communities in Vanuatu, Siviri Village on the Island of Efate and Luli Village on the Island of Paama, sought to explore convergent and divergent attitudes surrounding agricultural practices, in order to better understand relationships between rural ni-Vanuatu and their nation's agricultural development agenda. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed traits which were common between each location and other which were in contrast. Traits were then considered in the light of Vanuatu's national agricultural development strategies, and with respect to the literature of practice change, agricultural innovation, and cultural attributes at play in Vanuatu, including ideas of ni-Vanuatu kastom (indigenous culture). Communities were found to hold unique attitudes towards development, derived partly from their unique geographic and economic circumstances, and partly from localised social attitudes and uniquely evolved kastom. Mutual aspiration for greater participation in Vanuatu's agricultural economy has been undermined by poor strategic level imagining of innovation pathways at odds with community centric learning systems, ideas of risk and vulnerability, and powerful social functions associated attached to semi-subsistent gardening. This research identifies several areas for further investigation, and recommends that Vanuatu's agricultural sector reimagine the roles of rural ni-Vanuatu and revise their approach to innovation