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Special Reports
According to surveys and data
collected by public health and medical
agencies in Kiribati, the prevalence of
chronic diseases, such as diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, and strokes, is
69 percent. The fatality rate for diabetes
alone is the highest among all South
Pacific island nations.
To help I-Kiribati people adjust
their dietary habits and to promote the
consumption of fruits and vegetables,
the TaiwanICDF began carrying out a
Horticulture Project in 2004. Improving
farmers’ fruit and vegetable production
techniques and promoting the concept
of vegetable consumption as an
effective means of preventing chronic
illnesses, the project has progressed in
leaps and bounds over the years.
Two Phases: Changing Habits, from
Supply to Consumption
The project was divided into two
phases. Phase I, with an objective of
creating a demand for cultivation, took
place from 2004 to 2011. Demonstration
farms were built, seedlings were
distributed free of charge, and cooking
classes were held to popularize the
consumption of vegetables. Phase II,
running from 2011 to 2014, saw the
gradual transfer of relevant techniques
to farmers, so that they could become
self-sufficient. Help was also provided
in building three nurseries and eight
production and marketing centers,
while access roads to restaurants and
supermarkets were opened, and a
complete fruit and vegetable production,
marketing and supply chain was
established.
Following Phase II of the project, it is
now much easier for I-Kiribati consumers
to obtain fresh, inexpensive vegetables,
and to develop the habit of eating such
p roduce . Fa rme r s
operating the nurseries
and production and
marketing centers
have been generating
annual revenues of
around AUS$85,000
(about NT$2.5 million),
with yearly growth of
such activities running at 30 percent.
As such, the project has captured the
attention of a number of international
organizations, and particularly the
UN’s International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), which previously
led a fact-finding delegation to learn
about the venture, and which now plans
to replicate the same operating model
on four of Kiribati’s outer islands, thus
continuing to promote the project’s
influence.
Exploring the reasons behind the
success of this project, in terms of
supply-side considerations, assistance
in setting up nurseries has stabilized
sources of vegetable seeds and the
selection of a variety of crops suited
to the short planting season of South
Pacific island nations, while organic
farming based on crop rotation has
lowered the risk of disease and insect
pest damage and encouraged a
more diversified, balanced diet. At the
consumer end, the promotion of cooking
classes, the training of seed teachers,
the design of cookbooks promoting
specific crops and invitations to I-Kiribati
women to take part in cooking classes
has allowed the Taiwan Technical
Mission to increase acceptance of the
project among I-Kiribati citizens.
To address dietary
education from the
roots, the project will
come to an end this
year, with 2015 seeing
the launch of a six-year
Nutrition Enhancement
Project. Through the
increased production
of fruit and vegetables, the promotion
of on-campus nutrition classes, the
improvement of on-campus cafeteria
environments, the design of menus and
the creation of a nutrition monitoring
mechanism, middle school students will
have access to nutritional lunches and
learn about healthy eating concepts,
thus helping the I-Kiribati government to
more thoroughly and comprehensively
improve the health of its people.
Horticulture Project, Kiribati
Sixfold
Increase in annual sales of
fruit and vegetables from
2012 to 2014
Case Study
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