Setting the Stage for Regional Action: MORDI Tonga’s Pre-Event Forum Ahead of Pacific Agriculture Week

17 Dec Setting the Stage for Regional Action: MORDI Tonga’s Pre-Event Forum Ahead of Pacific Agriculture Week

May 24th, 2025 – MORDI Tonga Trust hosted a Regional Pre-Event Forum in Nuku‘alofa, bringing together regional partners, farmer organisations, researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners in the lead-up to the Pacific Week of Agriculture and Forestry. The forum created an important space for reflection, dialogue, and alignment ahead of one of the region’s most significant agriculture and forestry gatherings.

Designed as a platform for early engagement, the forum focused on shared challenges and opportunities shaping Pacific agriculture today. Discussions centred on climate-smart and regenerative approaches, strengthening rural livelihoods, and ensuring agricultural development remains inclusive and community-driven. By convening stakeholders ahead of the main regional event, the forum allowed for deeper, more focused conversations that could meaningfully inform broader regional discussions.

A key achievement of the forum was the strengthening of partnerships across the region. Participants exchanged experiences, research insights, and practical lessons from the field, reinforcing the value of collaboration between farmer organisations, community-based groups, government agencies, and development partners. These connections help ensure that regional strategies are grounded in real-world experience and responsive to the needs of Pacific farmers.

The forum also played an important role in amplifying grassroots voices. By creating space for community-level perspectives and practitioner insights, MORDI Tonga helped ensure that discussions leading into Pacific Agriculture Week reflected the realities faced by smallholder farmers and rural communities across the region.

As a lead-in event, the Regional Pre-Event Forum successfully set the tone for Pacific Week of Agriculture and Forestry—highlighting the importance of early coordination, shared learning, and Pacific-led dialogue. Through initiatives like this, MORDI Tonga continues to demonstrate its commitment to strengthening regional collaboration and ensuring that agriculture and rural development efforts are inclusive, resilient, and grounded in community priorities.