The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MALD) and World Vision Solomon Islands (WVSI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) earlier this week at MALD headquarters in Honiara, reaffirming their shared commitment to promote sustainable and resilient livelihoods across the Solomon Islands.
The MOU was signed by MALD Permanent Secretary Dr Samson Viulu and WVSI National Director Ms Asuntha Charles.
In his remarks, Dr Viulu highlighted that the process of finalising the MOU reflected the strong commitment of both partners to support Solomon Islanders through resilient livelihood opportunities.
“It took some time to reach this agreement, but the benefit of taking time is ensuring it meets the expectations of all parties. The Ministry is pleased to move forward with this MOU,” Dr Viulu said.
He added that the partnership aligns with the government’s two main policy priorities for the agriculture sector: making agriculture attractive at all levels of society and enabling people to earn a sustainable living from it.
“We see that young people are increasingly less interested in agriculture, which is a common challenge across many island nations. Our goal is to make agriculture appealing by providing opportunities for people to earn an income. When people have income, they have choices—whether to buy food, produce food, or invest. This is the impact we want agriculture to achieve,” he explained.
Meanwhile, WVSI National Director Ms Asuntha Charles said World Vision looks forward to working closely with MALD to reach rural communities nationwide.
“This MOU binds World Vision and the Ministry to a greater purpose: reaching communities and ensuring food security for vulnerable people, especially children. Despite the challenges of climate change, we want communities to know their resources can become productive,” Ms Charles said.
She added that the agreement represents hope for families, particularly mothers who plant crops to feed their children, pay for school fees, and create employment opportunities for future generations.
“This MOU is a commitment between the government and World Vision to work together to ensure food security for every person in the Solomon Islands. At World Vision, we believe that when families are flourishing, children thrive. We want future generations to have access to healthy, chemical-free food that supports their growth and development.”
The MOU will be effective for a two-year period, from February 2026 to February 2028.
