Minister Wasi urges IFAD to boost rural finance and water security for Solomon Islands’ first-mile farmers
The Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Hon. Franklyn Derek Wasi delivered intervention statements on behalf of the Solomon Islands Government at the Forty-Ninth Session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), participating in two high-level Leaders’ Dialogues focused on financing rural development and investing in water security.
Speaking at the session titled “New Frontiers for International Financial Institutions – Financing Rural Development at the First Mile,” Minister Wasi emphasised that in the Solomon Islands, rural development begins at the first mile not the last, where farmers are most remote, markets are fragmented, and risks are highest.
The Minister underscored that rural transformation requires financing systems rather than isolated projects.
“For us, financing rural development means financing systems, not just projects. Smallholders do not fail because they lack effort, they fail when finance, extension, infrastructure, and markets do not move together,” he said.
Hon Wasi called on International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to prioritise blended finance, de-risk early-stage investments hand support long-term institutional partnerships.
Highlighting the Government’s partnership with IFAD through the AIM-N project, Minister Wasi noted ongoing investments in strengthening farmer organisations, nutrition-sensitive value chains, and provincial delivery systems to ensure women, youth, and remote communities participate as economic actors.
“IFIs have a critical role in reshaping this space by blending public finance with private capital, de-risking early-stage investments, and backing institutions that stay the course beyond pilot phases,” he said.
In the second dialogue, “From Farm to Market – Investing in Water Security,” Minister Wasi stressed that for Small Island Developing States, water security is a matter of survival.
“Our farmers face erratic rainfall, saline intrusion, and climate shocks. Without reliable water, productivity declines, nutrition suffers, and market participation becomes impossible,” he said.
He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to integrating climate-resilient water harvesting, irrigation, watershed protection, and post-harvest systems into broader agricultural and market strategies.
Through IFAD-supported initiatives, Solomon Islands is aligning water management with food security, ecosystem resilience, and rural livelihoods.
Minister Wasi called on development partners to scale investments that combine infrastructure with governance, community ownership, and climate adaptation, noting that sustainable transformation at the first mile depends on patient capital, strong local institutions, and enduring partnerships.
SOURCE: MALD PRESS RELEASE
