The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has officially launched the Agriculture Investment for Markets and Nutrition (AIM-N) Project in Gizo, marking a significant step toward strengthening agriculture, improving nutrition, and increasing rural incomes in Western Province.
The launch was officiated by the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Hon. Franklyn Derek Wasi, and hosted in partnership with the Western Provincial Government led by Premier Billy Veo. The event was attended by provincial leaders, representatives from the education, health and agriculture sectors, women’s groups, and members of the AIM-N project team.
Speaking during the launch, Minister Wasi said the project represents more than the start of a development initiative.
“Today marks more than the commencement of a project. It marks a renewed commitment to our farmers, fisherfolk, rural women and youth, and to the future of agriculture and nutrition in our country,” he said.
He noted that Western Province has long been a pillar of agricultural and fisheries production in the Solomon Islands, producing commodities such as cocoa, coconut, root crops and marine resources that sustain thousands of rural households.
He emphasized that the project is not a short-term assistance but it is building a system which creates opportunity for the people of Western province.
“This initiative is not about short-term assistance. It is about building systems. It is about creating opportunity. It is about transforming rural livelihoods in a way that is sustainable and inclusive. But transformation requires partnership, as government, our role is to provide policy direction, enabling infrastructure, and institutional support.”
Minister Wasi in his remarks also acknowledged that farmers continue to face challenges including limited market access, climate risks, post-harvest losses and inadequate infrastructure.
Through a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the AIM-N Project will invest in stronger market linkages for farmers, improved productivity and climate resilience, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, greater inclusion of women and youth in agribusiness, and institutional strengthening at national and provincial levels.
“Let me emphasize one important point: women and youth are not beneficiaries at the margins of this project. They are central to it. If we are serious about rural transformation, we must ensure that women have access to productive resources, finance, and leadership opportunities. We must also create pathways for young people to see agriculture not as subsistence, but as enterprise,” he said.
Western Province Premier Billy Veo welcomed the initiative and thanked the national government and development partners for including Western Province in the program.
He said the project will help strengthen service delivery to rural communities by providing technical and financial support to farmers and families, enabling them to produce healthy and nutritious food while generating sustainable incomes.
Premier Veo also stressed the importance of community awareness during implementation to ensure rural communities fully understand the project and how they can participate.
“As a government, we welcome and fully support this initiative, and we pledge to work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock for the successful implementation of the project. My caution is that during implementation, we will need to conduct good and comprehensive awareness and advocacy programs, so that people fully understand the program, how they can be able to participate and be part of it,” he said.
Western Province Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Isaac Jenty said the AIM-N Project aligns with the Western Provincial Agricultural Sector Plan 2023–2027 and supports the province’s vision to strengthen smallholder farming and agricultural value chains.
He noted that the project will focus on capacity building for farmers, improving market access, supporting agricultural infrastructure and strengthening agribusiness development across communities.
Meanwhile, Western Province Minister for Education, Gordon Zebo, highlighted the project’s importance in promoting healthier school environments.
He said that in the past many schools maintained gardens where students grew vegetables and root crops to supplement school meals and learn farming skills. Today, however, many schools rely heavily on processed foods such as rice, noodles and flour.
The AIM-N initiative will support efforts to reintroduce school gardens and promote nutritious local food while equipping students with practical agricultural knowledge.
Western Province Minister for Health, Kenneth George, added that improving nutrition is critical to addressing the country’s growing non-communicable disease crisis.
He noted that non-communicable diseases account for approximately 60 to 70 percent of deaths in Solomon Islands, with poor diet and unhealthy lifestyles among the major contributing factors.
The Agriculture Investment for Markets and Nutrition Project is a six-year initiative valued at approximately US20 million dollars.
Launched nationally in July 2025, the project aims to improve food security, nutrition and rural incomes for more than 18,000 people, representing about 6,100 households in Choiseul Province, Isabel Province and Western Province.
Through this initiative, the government and its partners aim to support sustainable agriculture, strengthen rural livelihoods and promote healthier communities across the Solomon Islands.
