ATALA ALOAIA LE POLOKALAME A LE MATAGALUEGA O FAATOAGA MA FAIGAFAIVA FAALAPOTOPOTOGA TAU SIOSIOMAGA (GEF) MA LE FAALAPOTOPOTOGA O TAUMAFA & FAATOAGA O LE LALOLAGI [Aso Tofi 13 Novema 2025]

SAMOA, November 12 - SAUNOAGA AUTU Minisita o Faatoaga ma Faigafaiva Hon. Fuimaono Maiava Tito Asafo

E faatalofa atu i lo outou paia ma le mamalu ua mafai ona aupotopoto mai i lenei taeao, aua le faatalanoaina ma la outou faasoa taua i le auga ma lenei faamoemoe ua faatulagaina mo lenei faatasiga. Ou te faaleo le agaga o le faafetai i le Faalapotopotoga tau Siosiomaga (GEF), ma le Faalapotopotoga o Taumafa ma Faatoaga o le Lalolagi (FAO), mo lenei poloketi taua.

Ou te fia faafetaia foi sui auai uma, mai i Matagaluega a le Malo, faalapotopotoga ma vaega maoti, faifaatoaga, faapea paaga faavaomalo, ma faalapotopotoga fesoasoani i itu tau atinae. Faafetai le galulue soosootauau mo se manuia o Samoa i ona itu tau faatoaga.

O loo tumau pea le faamuamua ma le faataua i atinae tau faatoaga, aua o le fatu lea o le tamaoaiga o Samoa, ma o le a’a foi lea o lo tatou ola soifua maloloina. Peitai, o loo feagai pea le vaega maoti tau faatoaga ma luitau tetele, e aofia ai le faaitiitia ma le ola lelei o atinae tau faatoaga, oloa e gaosi mai i fua o faaeleeleaga, faapea aafiaga ona o suiga o le tau. Ua avea lea ma ala ua lepetia ai le soifua manuia o nuu i tua.

O lenei faamoemoe, ua avea ma se amataga taua tele i le talafaasolopito o le vaega

maoti tau faatoaga i Samoa. Aua o se taimi muamua lenei ua i ai se poloketi a le GEF ua tuusao lava mo le Matagaluega o Faatoaga ma Faigafaiva. I tausaga ua mavae, e tele lava ina aofia le vaega maoti tau faatoaga i poloketi a le GEF e faatautaia ma pulea i lalo o le Matagaluega o le Siosiomaga, poo poloketi faaitulagi a faalapotopotoga e pei o le SPС.

O le poloketi GEF la lea o le a tatou faatalanoaina, o le a fesoasoani lea mo le

tulimataiina ma faaleleia atinae ma faiga tau faatoaga, e ala i le unaia ma le faamalosia o atinae tau lafumanu, ma faalauiloa atinae talafeagai e tali atu ai i suiga o le tau, ma faataua avanoa tutusa mo le au faifaatoaga. E aofia ai foi le faaleleia o avanoa mo maketi faapea auala e maua ai seleni e fesoasoani i atinae.

E tele le taua o lenei faatasiga ina ia manino ma malamalama vaega uma i auala e

faatino ma ausia ai le sini autu o lenei polokalame. Ou te fautuaina i tatou uma mai i ofisa o le malo, sui o nu’u, faifa’ato’aga, vaega tuma’oti, fa’apea paaga o atina’e, ina ia galulue fa’atasi ma le loto e tasi, fa’asoa manatu ma fautuaga, ina ia fausia ai se poloketi e tali tonu i mana’oga o tagata Samoa, ma ausia ai taunuuga aoga mo tagata ma le si’osi’omaga.

I lenei itula, ou te fa’ailoa atu ai ma le agaga fiafia le tatala aloaia o lenei fonotaga

faaleaoaoga mo le poloketi e fesoasoani ai i le atinae manuia o si o tatou atunuu.

Manuia tele la outou faatalatalanoaga.

Soifua

OPENING OF THE GEF PROJECT INCEPTION WORKSHOP TRANSFORMATION OF AGRIFOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH SMART AGRICULTURE IN SAMOA [Thursday 13 November 2025]

KEYNOTE ADDRESS Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Hon. Fuimaono Maiava Tito Asafo

Talofa lava and Good morning to you all.

It is a pleasure to join you this morning, to officially open this Inception Workshop, for the “Transformation of Agrifood Systems through Smart Agriculture in Samoa” project, supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

At the sincere outset, I wish to express, on behalf of the Government of Samoa, our

appreciation to the GEF and FAO for their ongoing partnership, and acknowledge the collaboration of all our national partners, and stakeholders in this important initiative. Agriculture remains at the heart of Samoa’s economy and our way of life. It sustains our families, feeds our nation, and preserves our culture and traditions.

However, the sector faces growing challenges, from limited diversification and outdated processing systems, to increasing climate impacts that continue to disrupt production and rural livelihood. Today’s event is a historic milestone for Samoa’s agriculture sector. For the first time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is leading its own dedicated GEF project.

In past GEF cycles, agriculture was often addressed through broader environmental projects, under the focal Ministry, or through regional initiatives by CROP agencies. This new project recognizes agriculture as a key driver of both environmental sustainability and national resilience.

From the concept note and brief background information, the GEF-8 Smart Agriculture Project aims to transform our agrifood systems, by strengthening the livestock subsector, improving productivity, and promoting climate-smart and gender-responsive farming practices. It will also enhance market access, financing, and digital advisory services to empower our farmers and communities.

This workshop is an important first step.

I encourage all of you, government agencies, community representatives, farmers,

private sector, and development partners, to engage fully, share openly, and help shape a project that reflects the true needs, and meaningful results for our people and environment.

Transforming our agrifood systems is not just about production, it is about protecting our land, improving nutrition, and securing a better future for every Samoan household. With that, it is my honour to officially declare open the Inception Workshop for the “Transformation of Agrifood Systems through Smart Agriculture in Samoa” project.

Soifua ma ia Manuia.

November 18, 2025