An Agricultural Science Journey in Fiji

Amelia Nadau comes from the beautiful Cakaudrove province in Fiji. She grew up in her Vasu (mother’s village), Karoko Village in Tunuloa district. In her Vasu, Amelia learned traditional and sustainable practices including how to make masi, which is a cloth made from tree bark that is used for important occasions such as ceremonies to install chiefs, funerals and graduations. It is also used to make wedding dresses.

 “In high school, I loved Math and English classes the most. I was a dedicated student at first.” Amelia’s dedication to her school work began to falter when her mother died. Amelia and her 5 sisters moved into their aunts’ homes. “It really does take a village to raise a child,” Amelia says. With the support of her extended family, Amelia began to think about her future. Her life in her Vasu inspired Amelia to think about climate change and how it impacts people. “ With this support system, I was able to go to university. I persisted because my family helped me. They sacrificed so much for me. It’s good to have these kinds of people in your life - people who do not expect anything in return, they’re just there for you.”

Why did Amelia choose Agriculture science?

“Agriculture science was actually not my first choice. I wanted to take environmental management because my area of interest is climate change. After I spoke to a lecturer at university about possible programs, he made recommendations about agriculture science. He told me there were a lot of job opportunities in this field.”

Amelia started her bachelor of Agriculture science without having enthusiasm for the program. “Along the way, I started to love agriculture.” She spent weekends conducting research and volunteering to help her learn more about agriculture. Amelia even began to learn about traditional Fijian methods of planting crops so she could find solutions to problems that affect farmers.

When Amelia started her degree, not many women were involved in the program. It was not popular among Pacific Islanders because they did not have an understanding of all the courses in the degree. There is a wide range of multi-disciplinary courses, Amelia studied how to test the quality of soil, aspects of veterinary science and aspects of environmental science. “We had classes about animals, crops and data analysis of agriculture statistics.”

Amelia attended the University of the South Pacific’s campus in Samoa. “In Samoa, we used to plant crops around campus. We would just eat from what we planted on campus.”

How has Agriculture science helped Amelia contribute to her community?

With my education in agriculture science, I can now give free advice to my relatives in my village and demonstrate techniques that will help their crops grow. I do a lot of things for free such as farm reports so I can support people. I also do market research for other Fijians. My education has given me an opportunity to give back.”

“The value of my education reflects on how much I give back to people.”

“People are not aware of agricultural services that are available and that is what I want to change. Most farmers in Fiji just plant their crops and do not practice time phasing. We are trying to conduct an awareness program on that in my district.”

“What I like about agriculture, there’s a lot of experimentation and risk involved. It’s more exciting than people expect because finding ways to give fresh food to people is always exciting. Imagine if more people had the ability to study agriculture science so they can understand how to feed their own family.”

Amelia’s advice for girls and women

“For girls who are interested in agriculture science, I think it’s the best program to study! Covid-19 really affected every part of the world’s economy. However, in Fiji, many agriculturists became their own bosses during the Pandemic. They knew how to grow their crops and create employment.”

At the end of the day, everyone needs to eat. Most people want to eat fresh produce that came from a farm. Amelia’s work helps people live a healthy lifestyle.

Looking towards the future

Amelia hopes to further her study in agriculture. “In the future, my main interest for my career will be climate change. Agriculture is impacted by climate change and is a contributor to climate change. I want to learn about how we can fight climate change through sustainable farming methods.”