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Research Site Challenges and Opportunities
Map of Western Province
Western Province faces a range of challenges that contribute to food insecurity, such as climate change, limited access to agricultural resources, and environmental impacts of mining
Development efforts in the region often overlook what communities already know, value, and practice (FIS/2021/113)
Western Province is rich in local assets, from traditional staple crops like sago to generations of agricultural knowledge, but these are often given less attention in food security efforts (FIS/2021/122)
Development initiatives must build on the region’s unique social, cultural, economic, and ecological assets and strengths
Strengthening food security requires the meaningful participation of community members in the development process
Men working together in Koabu Village (Photo by Dokona Papua Group)
Project Aims
Improve livelihoods and advance community economy knowledge and practice
Investigate traditional Indigenous food production practices
Produce a knowledge base for place-based and inclusive community-led planning for food security and climate change resilience
Foster a co-design approach and work with multiple stakeholders in shaping food security strategies
Home gardens in Koabu Village provide local food source and support livelihoods (Photo by Dokona Papua Group)
Sago+ Theory of Change
The project employs a 5-pathway approach designed to build sustainable, equitable food systems in Western Province
Our approach recognises that lasting food security requires a multi-dimensional strategy where household and community empowerment, resilience, supply chains, social equity, education and governance work in harmony
Sago+ Theory of Change diagramClick the diagram to enlarge
Laying foundations
Pathway 1 Gathering place-based traditional knowledge about community food economies for strengthening food security
Sharing and co-creating knowledge about place-based community economies rooted in the existing traditional food system in Western Province, with support from Community Researchers (CRs)
Enabling rural households and communities to identify a shared context and purpose for enhancing their overall well-being and food security, including generating an inventory and maps of community food economy practices
Pathway 2 Grounding holistic understanding of traditional food system barriers and enablers for strengthening community food economies
Gaining a holistic understanding of the future of traditional sago food systems through a literature review, interviews with key informants, and community-based data gathering
Investigating enablers and barriers across the food system, including those that fall beyond the immediate control of community members such as structural barriers and multi-scalar/cross-scale dynamics
New scaffolding and tools
Pathway 3 Weaving together traditional and scientific knowledge to improve effectiveness of food security planning
Enabling community members, through Community Expert Groups (CEGs), to share and develop skills and knowledge for exploring innovative ways to improve food security in Western Province
Demonstrating an approach that involves knowledge exchange across linguistic and cultural differences to weave together Indigenous and scientific knowledge to achieve a more food secure future
Pathway 4 Developing tools for strengthening community food economies
Developing place-based tools that complement the Community Development Workers (CDW) National Standards to support partnerships between community members and external agencies in strengthening community food economies
Ensuring that future agricultural development investments are able to take an inclusive co-design approach from the planning stage onwards
Assembly and dispersal
Pathway 5 Enhancing multi-stakeholder engagement in community-led food security planning and community food economies livelihood training
Enhancing the capabilities of provincial agencies, universities and research institutes to effectively assist and encourage community-led planning and innovation within agricultural livelihood development initiatives
Energising provincial agencies, universities and research institutes to facilitate agricultural programs guided by community economy and asset-based approaches to strengthening local food security
Sago+ Developing an inclusive co-design process for strengthening food security in Western Province, Papua New Guinea
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