10 Sep 2004

Call for agriculture and forestry industries to join forces

7:31 am on 10 September 2004

Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Ministers, meeting in Fiji, are being encouraged to recognise the compatibility of the two industries.

Talks at the Suva meeting have focussed on food security, trade, biosecurity and genetic resources.

The talks will also provide direction for the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

A spokesman for the SPC, Aleki Sisifa, says challenges such as how to ensure the sustainability of both forestry and agriculture are being debated.

"In many meetings and many fora, agriculture has been blamed as the cause of some of the ills of the forestry sector, whereby the furthering of agricultural development means the clearing of forests, and issues like that, but really agriculture and forestry are partners in sustainable development."