Regional meeting of the PROTEGE agroecology demonstration farms network

The PROTEGE network of agroecological demonstration farms is meeting for a week in New Caledonia.

From 3 to 6 October, farmers from the PROTEGE agroecology demonstration farm network in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna met to exchange and enhance their farming and network experience.

This regional workshop was held in New Caledonia as part of the PROTEGE project.

It offered participants the opportunity to discover New Caledonian agricultural farms (organic wheat, fruit and market gardening), to meet various farmers (free-range pigs, cattle, poultry) and local technical centers (ADECAL Technopole, IAC, CAP NC).

They were joined by the facilitation team of the Organic Learning Farm Network funded by the Kiwa Initiative and implemented by SPC in Fiji, Nauru, Tonga and the Solomon Islands.

In Nessadiou on Thursday 6 October, a meeting led by Mr Vian and Mr Rabany on farmers' networks as a vector of innovation, in particular for the agro-ecological transition, provided an opportunity to review:

- the experiences in supporting farmers' networks in various contexts (metropolitan France, European and Mediterranean countries, Pacific countries, etc.),

- lessons to be learnt and cross-views on what has been implemented within the framework of PROTEGE in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna.

The exchanges between the network's farmers were very rich and have already led to new perspectives on projects that have been tested by some of them on their respective territories.

Photo 1: Mariana Maty, pig farmer with free range and on-farm slaughterhouse

Photo 2: Visit to the ADECAL-Technopole market garden trials (CTEM)

Photo 3: Learning visit to Stephen Moglia's demonstration farm (market gardening, cattle,..)

Photo 4: Farmers from New Caledonia and French Polynesia (Tuamotu).