Local Learnings from Local Voices: Exploring rural ni-Vanuatu perspectives of agricultural education and extension services in Santo, Vanuatu

Over the past 100 years, Vanuatu has seen the growth of a commercial agricultural sector through the influence of colonial interests. However, around 80 percent of the population still rely on semi-subsistence agriculture for their daily well-being. Agricultural education and extension resources operate across Vanuatu but are centralised around the Santo, the largest of Vanuatu’s 83 islands. However, their use by rural villages is limited despite growing recognition within rural communities that agricultural practices need to evolve in order to address issues such as climate change and food security. This led me to ask the questions: what are the ways in which villagers engage with these agricultural development resources; what influences whether they use these resources or not; and what would help improve engagement between villagers and resources? To answer these questions, I undertook this research using an indigenous Pacific research methodology which aligns the data collection approach and process with traditional practices of knowledge sharing and relationship building such as storytelling and open group discussions. This included living in three different villages, building relationship, conversing in Bislama, and conducting semi-structured group discussions in the traditional ni-Vanuatu format of storian. This research found an apparent disconnect between the rural village context and agricultural education and extension services on Santo. All three villages had minimal engagement with these resources, more regularly receiving agricultural information through other villagers. From the villagers’ perspective, in-village engagement is the most desirable and effective form of engagement. Perceptions of the present situation were dominantly negative with high travel costs, inconsistency in staff availability, past negative experiences with resources, education courses being too long and costly for many villages to attend and contextually misaligned information all influencing poor resource use. Villagers also highlighted the growing impact that climate change is having on food production, with changes to seasonal patterns, increasing weather extremes, and crop failures leading to dietary changes and growing food insecurity. However, villagers, in general, do recognise the potential benefits of agricultural development resources and do want greater engagement. Both past engagement examples and international examples offer options for a way forward and there are positive signs on the horizon. The need for more effective and community focused engagement is only going to increase due to climate change, growing urbanisation, and increasing food insecurity and greater recognition of the local perspective will be essential in order to address the challenges to come.