Revitalising Agriculture Project All Talk, No Action, More Documents – ‘Mangaia Deserves Better’
The development of the Mangaia harbour and water system is crucial to the success of the Revitalising Agriculture project proposed for Mangaia. However, what is equally important is the importance of plant performance “from the ground up”. So, why was it not included? Who are the developers of this project? Do they understand the Mangaia Way of Life? Have they considered the amount of failed donor funded projects that Mangaia have been through?

Basic agricultural knowledge to implement the revitalising agricultural concept is deeply lacking in the final draft document of November 2009 and perhaps largely to blame for the lack of common sense and logic when driving such a project. Even worse the people of Mangaia have not contributed towards the development of the document.
The developers of the revitalising agriculture concept need to be challenged; challenged for the sake of the people of Mangaia. Too often government representatives, who do not live, and neither do they understand the way in which our people live in the outer islands are allowed to dictate, if not impose their views on what is best for our people. It is these very views that are forced upon our people for the sake of the project proceeding, knowing very well it contradicts with our Mangaian way of doing things. Developers must understand the importance of contextualising their projects from the ‘grassroots up and down’.
The fact is during the development of the document peer reviews, were not undertaken, to screen the validity of the revitalising concept; agricultural relevance within a Mangaia context was also neglected and down played. This has left room for the basic things like a simple soil test ‘not to be included’ in the project. Such a test determines with certainty and clarity what can be done on the varying Mangaian soils. The fact it has been missed out all together, tells you already, the project is guaranteed to have challenges and delays, that they could have easily avoided.
The visit made by Ottie Kawabe (daughter of Dr Eric Kawabe) to Mangaia to carry out a soil test amongst the Tamarua growers in November 2009 provides evidence that the people of Mangaia no longer want to talk about doing things. They want to action!
By welcoming Kawabe and Associates voluntary service in November 2009 (which normally would have cost them between $20k to $30k) the people of Tamarua who participated in the exercise are now steps ahead of the proposed revitalising agriculture concept. Being able to receive their results within two weeks of sending the soil samples to Brookside Laboratories in the United States of America has raised their confidence of what they need to do. Not only do they know the status of their soil but they have been provided with recommendations that encourage the growers to utilise local biological solutions and therefore reducing the cost of purchasing pesticides and fertilizers. In simple terms it means Tamarua growers want to improve produce quality in quantity.
Andy Matapo, Toko Pareina and Papa Aratangi are amongst some of the growers who participated in the soil test last year in November 2009. They are looking forward to Dr Kawabe’s return visit to Mangaia from the 23 – 30 May 2010.
Working within the Mangaia way of life is key and core to projects succeeding in Mangaia. The people and environment of Mangaia have been the recipients of many ‘failed donor funded projects’ and they no longer want to continue neither participate in such project trends. They are changing their future through self-determination and direction.

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