Last week from the 4th to the 12th of July we attended the Global Landcare Conference held in Fiji. This huge event was an initiative from all of us who make the Pacific our home.
The Fijian Ministry of Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry welcomed us to the start of the Global Landcare Training at the Bonunaqwele Campus in Nadi.
Myself, as an Indigenous trainer helped to train all attendees in a two-day participatory program, helping to strengthen community-led approaches to sustainable land, sea and sky management and agricultural development across the Indo-Pacific.
This training brought together farmers, practitioners, researchers, facilitators, development professionals and community leaders from across the region.
I represented my culture and the National Landcare Network with expertise in Landcare and Caring for Country. We held training sessions engaging in practice-oriented sessions that highlight how we use our traditional First Nations science and culture to drive sustainable change in agriculture and rural development through community action. I shared our stories on how we use our Indigenous cultural practices along with modern scientific knowledge to control invasive plants and animals across our country, Australia.
We also attended the conference itself on Wednesday and Thursday. We embarked on the field trip where we attended an Indigenous Organic farm where we learned from the farmers and shared our Indigenous knowledge with our Fijian neighbours. Once again culture was at the forefront of two-way knowledge sharing.
Trevor Meldrum, NLN First Nations Liaison Officer