Rural Development Programme - Phase II

The overall objective of the second phase of Rural Development Programme is to reduce poverty and help to develop the agriculture sector in the Solomon Islands. The programme will revitalise the agricultural sector, build small-scale infrastructure and create income opportunities for over 68,000 poor, rural households.

The national programme will cover all nine provinces. Specifically, it will support smallholder farmers who produce commodities, such as cocoa and coconut, to partner with agri-businesses to add value to agricultural products and create jobs. It will also invest in community-managed small-scale infrastructure to provide basic services such as roads, bridges and docks.

The financing agreement includes funds specifically designated for disaster recovery assistance. These will be used to rebuild the Guadalcanal communities that were heavily affected by flash floods in 2014. All infrastructure investments will incorporate measures to mitigate future effects of climate change and natural disaster.

The 550,000 people living in the country face huge constraints as they are scattered over 90 islands and far from neighbouring countries. People are often living in remote areas with limited access to land and limited opportunity to earn a viable income from agriculture.

Women lead a revived honey industry in the Solomon Islands