Mitigating the impacts of HIV/AIDS through agricultural research

By JAMES LARAKI of NARI                        

HIV/AIDS, once considered a health issue is now a development issue affecting all sectors of society.

Its impacts are likely to affect all fronts of development, and agriculture is no exception.

Like climate change, and other crossing-cutting issues we are faced with today, its impacts are threatening our very existence, thus demanding our attention to deal with it.

Some of the likely impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture includes loss of labour, food and nutrition insecurity, loss of household income, shift in farming system, and  loss of knowledge on traditional farming methods among others.

Women making large mounds for planting food crops at the Tambul Agricultural Research Centre, Western Highlands. Such efforts require labour and are likely to be affected with the likely effects of HIV/AIDS.

While the impact of HIV/AIDS is not yet that serious in PNG, it is clear that it would certainly have an effect in our agriculture system if its spread is not contained and allowed to spread at its current rate.

This represents a serious challenge to our agriculture system as up to 80% of our people depend on it.   

Developing appropriate agricultural research agendas that could be useful towards mitigating its impact is one possibility that needs to be looked at along with other efforts that are already being pursued.

Agriculture research could offer technical interventions and policy recommendations focused on the needs of the rural farmers and the agriculture systems that are likely to be affected.

 Research efforts are already being undertaken by various regional and international organisations, particularly in response to the situation in some African countries where HIV/AIDS prevalence is high.

Similar studies could be undertaken in PNG that would help us identify and explain the relationship between HIV/AIDS and agriculture, and their findings made available to stakeholders.

Currently, NARI and other research and development organisations are mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in their core activities and have developed workplace HIV/AIDS policies to provide guidance.

While these efforts are appreciated, how agriculture research and development could be off help in mitigating the negative impacts of HIV/AIDS on food security, nutrition and agriculture development in general needs to be explored.

HIV/AIDS poses a serious threat to our agriculture, as it is entirely dependent on human labour. It affects the productive age group between 15-45 years and with less labour available, this poses a threat to agriculture production and food security.

This requires us to finding ways to reduce the amount of labour required, including introducing less labour-intensive crop varieties and increasing yield with less labour input.

Efforts are required to increase food and nutrition security for affected households and the community.

 Most rural households in PNG depend on what they cultivate for their food and nutrition.

Thus,  research efforts to promote diversified food production and nutrition at household and community levels needs to be explored.

Various studies conducted by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in African countries have found farming families affected are substituting cash crops for crops which requires less labour.

It is highly likely in PNG that the epidemic would cause a similar shift in our farming systems. This would mean that farming families may resort to growing crops that require less labour. There is a possibility that such families may do away with cash crops such as coffee and cocoa which require certain amount of labour.

Research could look at ways to avoid the likely shift in our farming systems and where possible develop simple income generating technologies.

Efforts could also be made to look at ways to document traditional farming knowledge which could be made available to the future generations as adults may not may die and too weak to transfer these to their children.

These may include hunting and fishing skills which are important source of food gathering in rural areas.

Studies on gender may be useful as women are often disadvantaged with respect to access to land, cash, and other resources even though they play a crucial role in agriculture and food production in rural PNG.

The risk of HIV infection in women cannot be separated from poverty and unequal status of women in society, therefore, women must be at the centre of HIV/AIDS response activities.

While NARI and other stakeholders in the sector have made attempts to towards HIV/AIDS responses, the way forward is for all to approach them collectively.

 The impact is likely to affect all fronts, from food crops to plantations and livestock.

And the development of relevant agricultural research agendas is worth a thought.

The future impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture will depend, among other things on finding ways to reduce the amount of labour required, including introducing less labour-intensive methods of production and increasing yield with less labour input.

 It is anticipated that the epidemic would intensify labour shortages, increase food insecurity, loss of household income, shift in farming systems, and loss of knowledge about traditional farming methods.

Any effort towards mitigating the impacts of HIV/AIDS by those concerned in the agriculture sector is crucial.

We need to have a very clear understanding of the relationship between HIV/AIDS and agriculture as our role is seen to be crucial in mitigating the effects of HIV/AIDS on agriculture and rural communities.

It is noted that not only agricultural research but a multi-discipline research involving health, education, public and private sectors may be the way to go on this front.

PNG and Pacific arts gallery to open in Brisbane

By MALUM NALU

A new art gallery, Beyond Pacific Art, featuring Papua New Guinea and Pacific art will open in Brisbane on March 17.

 The gallery is located 20 minutes from Brisbane.

 Owner, arts entrepreneur Joycelin Leahy from Wagang village in Lae, says it will be the first time a gallery is opened in Australia to exclusively retail and promote PNG and Pacific arts.

Joycelin Leahy

“I have searched, asked and visited many galleries in Australia,” she says.

 “In Queensland and other states, none of the gallery owners would take PNG and Pacific arts.”

 This is what irks Leahy and makes her want to open her own art gallery.

 “The concentration here is on indigenous arts, local and Asian art,” she adds.

 “Work from Thursday Island - which depicts PNG’s cultural relationship - is accepted but anything else from PNG or the Pacific is thought to be ‘high risk’ for galleries to take on, for fear they may not be sold.”

 Leahy previously founded Kalem Kollection, a clothing line depicting PNG prints from 1991 till 2005; and Beyond Art, an art gallery in Port Moresby for over 17 years.

 She also brought to fame the Pacific Storms Contemporary Art Exhibition, in which artists from 27 Pacific islands and states show their work every two years.

 The exhibition promotes the effects of climate change in island countries across the Pacific.

 Leahy believes she has done enough marketing for Pacific and PNG arts in Australia and believes the opportunities are there to sell exclusively. 

Joycelin Leahy surrounded by PNG artwork which will be on display in her new gallery

 She moved to Brisbane eight years ago to pursue a museum masters programme at University of Queensland.

 Since completing the programme, she has returned on regular basis to work in art, culture, heritage as well as sustainable business programme in PNG and internationally.

 She is recognised amongst her peers as an expert on art, culture and heritage with a particular interest in protection of intangible heritage.

 She hopes that opening her own gallery will promote dancing, languages, weaving and many other traditional skills from PNG and other islands apart from selling both contemporary and traditional handicrafts.

 These skills will be taught through workshops in creative learning art space (CLAS) on premises.

 PNG and Pacific diaspora will be invited to take part in as guest tutors apart from her.

 The director general of the Office of Tourism in PNG, Mari Ellingson, will officiate at the opening.

Five illegal miners killed in Porgera gold mine

Five trespassers were found dead in the underground workings of the Porgera gold mine on Saturday, March 3 after a routine blast underground.

 Managers of the mine, Barrick Niugini Limited, report that following a scheduled blast at 5.25am an injured man alerted mine staff that other trespassers who had been with him in the underground mine complex were missing. 

 A subsequent search and rescue operation by mine staff led to the discovery of five  deceased persons.

 “We deeply regret this loss of life – it tragically demonstrates that the mine is not a safe place to be for unauthorised persons,” executive general manager of Barrick Niugini Limited, Greg Walker, said.

 “Our thoughts are with the community after this tragic loss. We must work together to prevent this happening again.”

 The deceased were transferred to Porgera’s Paiam Hospital, where efforts are being made to identify the five people involved.

 It is believed the men were part of a group of eight people who had trespassed into mine workings to find gold.

 Barrick understands that the other persons located in the vicinity of the incident have been arrested and charged by local police.

 Barrick has commenced an investigation into the incident and the matter was immediately reported to the PNG Mines Inspectorate. 

Hides gas firm launches website

HIDES Gas Development Company (HGDC) Ltd, the umbrella landowner company for the upstream section of the PNG LNG project, has launched a user-friendly website www.hgdcpng.com, The National reports.
It will  be used as the main tool for recruitment of labour and information dissemination by the company.
HGDC was a service provider to PNG LNG project operator ExxonMobil and its subsidiary Esso Highlands Ltd and other engineering, procurement and construction contractors in the upstream section of the project.
With labour hire being one of its core businesses, the company was encouraging applicants for its jobs vacancies to utilise the website to lodge applications.
Chairman Tuguyawini Libe Parindali said HGDC wanted to make applying for jobs easier through the new website.
“We are encouraging Papua New Guineans to visit our website to check if there may be a listed job that suits your qualifications or just to check out who HGDC is because not many Papua New Guineans know who HGDC is as a company,” Parindali said.
There were currently new vacancies listed on the website.
Parindali said the website would also be an information source for people to read about the company and clearly understand what the company was established for.
“Our employees are working hard to make a difference, learn new skills and personally advance their careers.
“If you are someone who is passionate about making changes in a challenging environment, we would like to hear from you.”
Current vacancies are listed under “People and Careers” and applicants are encouraged to see the selection criteria, fill in the form and clearly noting the job applied for, attach supporting documents such as  curriculum vitae and hit the “submit” button.

Water PNG eyes more projects, pays K500,000 to state

By MALUM NALU

WATER PNG, formerly PNG Waterboard, will complete water supply projects for more communities this year under the European Union-funded district towns water supply programme (DTWSP), The National reports.
This was revealed last Friday during a K500,000 dividend payment to the Independent Public Business Corporation (IPBC).
WPNG board chairman William Sweet, who presented the money to IPBC senior economic analyst and WPNG board member Dr Stephen Kikala, said the company had just completed water supply projects for Finschhafen in Morobe and Maprik in East Sepik.

Water PNG contractors laying out a new pipe at Kreer Heights in Wewak, East Sepik province

“These are scheduled to come on line soon after final checks and will serve more than 3,000 people each,” he said.
“Under the DTWSP, Kainantu water supply project has just commenced and is expected to be completed this year.”
The K500,000 payment was part of WPNG’s community service obligation to the people of PNG and the government.
Sweet said it was a sign that WPNG was a “healthy and strong” state-owned enterprise.
“The state-owned enterprises that are able to make a dividend payment are healthy and strong.
“With this payment, I’m sure that there will be a future of dividend payments.”
Sweet said the K500,000 was interim dividend payment for 2010, with the last dividend payment to government being in 2007.
WPNG currently operated in 13 urban centres and four district towns, namely Mutzing in Morobe, Bereina and Kwikila in Central, and Rabaul in East New Britain.
The company had undergone a corporate restructure that saw it took on a new name, logo and slogan.
It also undertook a new management structure that had seen its main operational town of Lae elevated to ‘divisional’ status.
Under the new structure, it signed an agreement with Hunter Water of Australia for a review of its staff remuneration package, and completed an intensive training needs analysis.
“These all have to be done with the aim to upskill staff, retain technically-skilled staff including draftsmen and engineers, and streamline operational procedures to better serve our clients and keep up with change,” Sweet said.
“This year, WPNG will be celebrating 25 years of providing access to safe water and sanitation services in PNG.
“Our vision is to enhance the quality of life of our people through the provision of safe water and sanitation services in an environmentally-friendly manner.”