Building Skills from Farm to Community: JICA Training Strengthening Vegetable Production in Tonga

17 Dec Building Skills from Farm to Community: JICA Training Strengthening Vegetable Production in Tonga

March 14th 2025 – Strengthening local food systems starts with strong knowledge on the ground. Recently, a MORDI Tonga staff member participated in the JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Program on “Vegetable Production Technology for Livelihood Improvement of Small-Scale Farmers,” a specialized training designed to enhance practical, market-oriented vegetable production skills for those working directly with farmers.

Delivered in Japan, the program combined classroom learning with hands-on field experience, focusing on improved vegetable cultivation techniques, farm management, post-harvest handling, and market awareness. The training also emphasised how technologies can be adapted to different local contexts—an essential consideration for small island farming systems like Tonga’s.

For MORDI Tonga, the value of this training goes well beyond individual capacity building. By strengthening the technical knowledge and confidence of staff, the program directly enhances extension services provided to communities. Trained staff are better equipped to support farmers with practical solutions—improving yields, reducing losses, and helping households turn vegetable production into a more reliable source of food and income.

Most importantly, this knowledge is shared. Through farmer trainings, demonstrations, and ongoing advisory support, the skills gained through the JICA program are passed on to communities, multiplying its impact. Farmers benefit from improved production practices, better farm planning, and stronger links to local markets—contributing to improved livelihoods and food security.

This training reflects the importance of investing in people as a pathway to sustainable development. By building staff capacity through high-quality international learning opportunities, MORDI Tonga continues to strengthen community resilience from the ground up—ensuring that knowledge reaches where it matters most: the farms, families, and communities of Tonga.