FORESIGHT & INSIGHT

Growing the Pacific Agriculture & Forestry

Client

Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Land Resources Division

Scope of Work

Desk review of relevant documents
Consultations with selected stakeholders
Interviews
Workshops
Game Design
Synthesis
Reports
Environmental Scan
Horizon Scan
Custom Designed Graphics
Worksheets
Strategy
Implementation Plan

Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) stand at a critical juncture for their agriculture and forestry sectors. As the world navigates climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic instability, the need for a transformative strategy that ensures sustainable development has never been more pressing.

Agriculture and forestry practices are not merely sectors of the Pacific economy; they are the lifeblood of the communities, the guardians of cultural heritage, and the stewards of the environment. This strategy is the first ever Pacific-led regional agriculture and forestry strategy. It represents an ambitious shared regional agenda for agro-ecological transformation.

KerrSmith worked with SPC and Alex Ryan at Synthetikos and Manuhuia Barcham of Archetekt out of Seattle to create “Growing the Pacific - The Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Strategy for 2024-2050” to define a bold vision. The strategy outlines agriculture and forestry systems in the PICTs that will be sustainable, resilient, and contribute to the well-being of people, economies, and the environment.

Methodology
To complete the first part of the project KerrSmith worked closely with SPC to understand the context and look at the challenges from a “Futures” perspective. We created an extensive research and engagement plan. Some of the activities we undertook included:

Document review & Best Practice Research
Extensive interviews and stakeholder workshops
Horizon Scanning
Scenarios and Implications
Backcasting
Participatory game design and facilitation

Different Stakeholders
Understanding that there are intricate webs of relationships, we engaged with a full range of stakeholders including farmers, foresters, entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers and consumers. The game provided a powerful platform for discussion of holistic and systemic approaches to addressing change within the sector.

Information Translation to Strategy
To bring the strategy project to a synthesis, our work included:

Translating insights developed through shared discussion
Identifying obstacles to success and opportunities for change
Workshop participants drafted a system map of intersecting influencers and stakeholders
Report writing, design and presentation of comprehensive 40-page document

The Growing the Pacific: 2050 Strategy for Agriculture and Forestry, was validated by the Pacific Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services (PHOAFS) meeting in May 2024. The strategy document that KerrSmith facilitated is a culmination of Pacific-led consultative activities and discussions using Strategic Foresight.

The strategy links to existing regional priorities articulated by the “Pacific Community (SPC) Strategic Plan 2022 – 2031” as well as to the undertakings of the “Blue Pacific 2050 Strategy” endorsed by leaders of the region.

Implementation Plan
The next phase of the project involved creating an action plan from the strategy. The strategy outlined a bold vision for a future where agriculture and forestry systems in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories are sustainable, resilient, and contribute to the well-being of our people, economies, and environment. It is founded on a participatory, Pacific led, future-ready approach that recognises both national contexts and regional intentions. To achieve this vision, the strategy focuses on five strategic pathways: Integrated, Healthy, Regenerative, Secure, and Enabled.

For the next phase to develop the 5-year implementation plan our work included:

Demonstrating how the first 5-year implementation plan contributes to the long-term vision utilizing Strategic Foresight Tools (e.g. futures triangles, back casting, and causal layered analysis etc.)
Implementation Planning: articulate partnerships and collaborations, governance and reporting
Resources allocation required to deliver on the vision of the strategy – or resource mobilization mechanisms
Monitoring, evaluation and learning framework, including indicators, and criteria for evaluating implementation of the strategy
Risk management framework
Communication plan/mechanisms

The 5-year plan targets specific actions including promoting One Health and regenerative practices, advancing reforestation and climate-resilient systems, strengthening biosecurity, expanding agribusiness and exports, and enhancing data systems. The plan outlines a more integrated approach to the Land Resource Division’s work and calls for greater collaboration with member countries and partners to successfully deliver LRD’s Mission.

We worked closely with SPC leadership to create a series of “placemat” documents which, based on the 5 strategic initiatives articulate actions, metrics, evaluation methods and Learning approaches.

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Transit Wayfinding and Harmonization

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