The negative impacts of climate change, have caused a developing food emergency in Fiji. Rural subsistence farmers have been severely stressed, as increasingly strong cyclones rake across the islands, destroying small farm plots and homes, and damaging coconut and other tree crops. The coral reefs are also sustaining storm damage, and are being over-fished. We address poverty and hunger by providing islanders with foraging chickens as an alternative income and alternative protein to reef fish.
Tourism, Fiji's biggest employer, collapsed during COVID, forcing tens of thousands to return to their villages. Many resorted to farming and fishing, but lacked skills and resources for sustainable practices. Coral reefs, already stressed by climate change, became badly over-fished. Free range village chickens integrated into farming are a good alternative, but Fiji is dependent on imported chicks, and airfreight has slowed, resulting in a critical shortfall of baby chickens.
We have crossed local chicken breeds with imported breeds to produce highly productive birds well-adapted to local tropical conditions. Our answer to the crisis has been to ramp-up our Happy Chicken hatchery to >300 chicks/week and to train farmers to produce their own chicks, as well as to train communities in organic farming, with chickens integrated as a key element. With an alternative protein source, some coral reef areas can then be set aside within no-fishing "tabu" recovery zones.
The cyclones destroy important traditional food sources. Improved island-type chickens are excellent foragers and reproduce well on their own, resulting in restored chicken flocks and lasting change. By offering housing & training for youth at our permaculture farm, we are starting a positive chain with our improved island-type chickens. As the world crisis tightens its grip on Fiji, we share seeds, root crop cuttings, and superior coconut seedlings, resulting in feeding >30,000 rural poor.
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