In April 2019, POETCom set up a tracking tool for capturing requests received for information, technical advice and support on organics. This user-friendly tool not only allows POETCom to capture requests and provide support, but also in the long run help monitor and track whether our support has made any impact on the requestee or on the organic sector.

From January to August 2020, POETCom received 48 requests, which is amounts to a 13 percent increase over the same amount of time – April through December – last t year. Though the majority of this year’s requests are from Fiji, This does not necessarily mean that the demand is any less in other Pacific Island countries though, as requests may be going directly to POETCom’s members/farmer organisations rather than POETCom itself. In these cases, POETCom works with its members to provide accurate and timely information on organics or re-directs the request to POETCom staff where necessary.

To date in 2020, the majority of requests were on organic certification (50.9 percent), followed by organic inputs (20 percent) and organic production (12.7 percent). See Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Breakdown by type of requests received by POETCom for technical advice, support and information on organics.

POETCom information requests can be made via our website’s Contact Us page (www.organicpacifika.org), email to poetcom@spc.int or through a phone call to Organic Extension Office, Stephen Hazelman (+679 3370733 ext 35452) or POETCom Coordinator, Jim Pierce (+679 3370 733 ext 35360).

POETCom is continuously searching for ways to better serve the organic community.