Port Vila, Vanuatu – A recent monitoring mission by the Department of Climate Change (DoCC) to the Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre (VARTC) in Santo has highlighted strong progress and ongoing priorities for climate-resilient agriculture programming.

The visit, held during late March of 2026, brought together DoCC, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), and VARTC to review implementation progress, strengthen coordination, and accelerate delivery of key activities under the Country Flexible Finance (CFF) programme.

Funded by the Government of New Zealand through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), the CFF programme is a five-year initiative (2024–2029) delivered through Government systems, with DoCC as the lead coordinating agency.

The monitoring visit confirmed several major achievements of CFF in strengthening Vanuatu’s seed systems and agricultural resilience such as:

• the recruitment of 18 Provincial Seed Bank Officers and a National Seed Bank Manager in place at VARTC;
• the procurement of solar power systems installed across all seed bank sites, ensuring reliable seed storage and refrigeration;
• supporting the procurement of equipment for the Seed Processing Facility nearing completion, along with a tractor for VARTC.

These investments are central to establishing a national seed system capable of supporting farmers with climate-resilient planting materials and improving food security across the country.

Discussions during the visit also identified priority areas remaining for CFF implementation, including:

• the expansion of cold storage and irrigation systems at seed banks;
• the establishment of multiplication plots for resilient crops;
• progression of key infrastructure such as the Post Entry Quarantine facility and Tissue Culture Laboratory upgrades.

The visit reinforced the importance of strong coordination between DoCC, DARD, and VARTC to ensure timely delivery and effective use of CFF resources.

"Climate change continues to pose significant threats to our food security – through this partnership with the DARD and VARTC, we are ensuring that communities have access to resilient crop varieties, improved agricultural tools, and reliable infrastructure," stated Acting Director of DoCC, Nelson Kalo.

"Through the Country Flexible Finance programme, we are strengthening the systems and infrastructure needed to support farmers and safeguard food security in the face of climate change."

The Government of Vanuatu acknowledges the continued support of the Government of New Zealand, through MFAT, for providing flexible climate finance that enables national systems to deliver priority climate actions.