EARTH – Enhancing Atoll Resilience through Healthy Soils

Commodities

• Vegetables: cucurbits, greens (leafy), taro

Practices

• Crop Production: nutrient management
• Education and Training: demonstration
• Soil Management: composting

EARTH - Enhancing Atoll Resilience through Healthy Soils aims to transfer relevant research and low-cost technologies to atoll farmers in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, using farmer organisations as the primary conduit for outreach, monitoring, and ongoing innovation. The project builds upon research conducted by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Pacific Community (SPC), which carried out extensive soil sampling across the atolls and worked with local farmers and researchers to develop appropriate strategies for improving soil health, including targeted composting. However, the transfer of these research findings was limited following the completion of the project and primarily targeted government extension agents in Kiribati and Tuvalu. EARTH seeks to expand the reach and adoption of these low-cost soil health technologies by embedding them within local farmer organisations.

1. Increase Knowledge of Climate-Resilient Soil Management:
   Train 50 farmer leaders, agricultural service providers, and educators in Pacific atolls on composting, soil health, and sustainable fertility practices, connecting traditional knowledge with scientific principles. Success will be measured through pre- and post-training surveys, focus groups, and practical demonstrations of soil management techniques.
   
   
2. Strengthen Local Training Capacity:
   Enable trained participants to teach and model composting and soil health practices to at least 200-300 additional farmers, educators, and community members within their networks. Success will be measured by follow-up evaluations, participant retention, and the number of peer-to-peer trainings conducted.
   
   
3. Enhance Curriculum and Educational Materials:
   Update composting lesson plans and develop practical guides and training materials for schools, women's groups, and farmer organisations. Effectiveness will be measured by the adoption of updated materials in at least three school programs and feedback from educators and farmer trainers.
   
   
4. Promote Farmer-Led Knowledge Sharing:
   Implement a "farmers teaching farmers" model through hands-on practicums and farm demonstrations, ensuring that local leaders serve as the primary educators. Success will be measured by observation of training delivery, participant engagement, and application of learned practices in field settings.
   
   
5. Support Long-Term Adoption of Sustainable Practices:
   Encourage sustained use of improved soil management techniques by participants and their communities, contributing to resilient atoll food systems. Long-term impact will be assessed through follow-up surveys, virtual check-ins, and documentation of applied practices six months post-training.