Seminar Series: Abstract

12.30
August 14 2009

Research Seminar - Papua New Guinea women in agriculture: an overview of the organisation
Maria Linibi

The organisation, Papua New Guinea Women-in-Agriculture, was founded in 2006 with assistance from the Crawford Foundation in Australia. It has grown rapidly and there are currently over 3000 members, with clusters of women farmers in all provinces of PNG. Their interests cover agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, aquaculture, livestock, fisheries and eco-tourism. In this talk, Maria Linibi (the national president) will give an overview of the organisation, its achievements, constraints and vision for the future.

Image caption: Village women carry leaves from the edge of an atoll to be used as mulch on Colocasia taro gardens on the atoll, Mortlock Island, Automomous Region of Bougainville, PNG. The mulch acts as organic fertiliser and maintains soil fertility, even though the taro plots are cultivated continuously in a hot and very wet environment. Colocasia taro is grown as a ceremonial food. The staple food is swamp taro (in the background of the image) which is grown by men and women in pits dug down to the fresh water lens. The other important foods on the atolls are coconut and fish (Photo by Mike Bourke).