The Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom) is a membership organization with a Secretariat housed under the Land Resources Division of the Pacific Community in Suva, Fiji. The organization now has 44 members in some 17 Pacific Island Countries and Territories. Please visit www.organicpasifika.com and our Face Book page Organic Pasifika.

An advocacy High Level Organic Group led by the Samoan Prime Minister advocates for the movement to other Pacific Leaders usually during the Pacific Island Forum meetings. The POETCom has an Advisory Board that meets regularly to provide strategic directions for the movement. Members of the Advisory Board are selected at the POETCom General Assembly. Advisory Board decisions and motions are then presented at POETCom General Assembly for discussions, recommendations and decisions by the members. POETCom membership is currently in three categories namely focal points, members and supporters.

If you are interested in organics and its wider development roles please contact us and we encourage you to join. The membership form could be found on the website.

The POETCom Secretariat implements the movements Strategic Development Plans and advocate and mobilises resources for implementing activities around the Pacific.

The current staff members:
Stephen Hazelman – Acting POETCom Coordinator/ Organic Systems Extension Officer
Osea Rasea – Organic Production Extension Officer
Theresa Fox – Communications Officer
Lily Wong – Programme Assistant.

The Secretariat secures resources through developing funding proposals. Currently the POETCom Secretariat is implementing the following projects

1. Capacity Building for Resilient Agriculture in the Pacific (CBRAP) implemented in Niue, Cook Islands and the Republic of the Marshall Islands funded by the United Nation’s International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) 2015 – 2017

The Marshall Islands Organic Farmers Association (MIOFA) was setup under the IFAD CBRAP. Seen here MIOFA board secretary Jessica Zebede with Acting POETCom Coordinator Stephen Hazelman.

2. Youth Leading Learning in Climate Resilient Value Chain Project (YLLP) funded by the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) 2016 -2017. This project supports the IFAD CBRAP Project mentioned above.

3. Engaging Youth in Organic Farming: A Farm to Table Chain Approach supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with funding from its Sustainable Development Goal Fund. This project is implemented by Women In Business Development Inc in Samoa, by the Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises & Development in Fiji and by Farm Support Association in Vanuatu. 2015 to 2017.

Funding to continue the Secretariat work beyond the above projects again relies of developing funding proposals. The two that are currently under development include a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian Government through its Women’s Leadership programme are in the Project design face for a POETCom Women Organic Empowerment Project that will continue work 2018 to 2021. After much work through the European Union EDF11 ACP and OCT funding a POETCom component that aims to strengthen our technical certification capacity. If approved this will run for 3 to 4 years.

The POETCom advisory Board met 11 & 12 May this year to discuss the Organization moving forward. Board motions will be presented at the General Assembly later this year for endorsement by the membership.

Key discussions by the Board included the following.
a. Taking stock of the current status of the movement
b. Looking and its Governances Structure and membership criteria’s based on past experiences
c. Communications from the Secretariat and its effectiveness to both Anglo and Francophone
d. The current relationship with our long time host – The Pacific Community
e. Legal Registration of the Organization and its Secretariat
f. Sustainable Financing

These important issues will be discussed and actioned at the General Assembly later this year.
Urging all members to visit the IFOAM website and register for the upcoming Organic World Congress, November 2017.

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