8 The Island Sun Wednesday 22 November 2017 theislandsun.com NEWS LOCAL Agritourism Country needs professional chefs BY BEN BILUA THE preliminary session on Agritourism has found that there is a need of professional policy setting chefs to prepare delicious local dishes in hotels and resorts. Speaking during the Agritourism workshop yesterday, Solomon Islands workshop Sales and Marketing Manager Mrs Freda Unusi said local food cuisine are lacking in most hotels due to lack of professional chefs to formulate uncovers delicious dishes. “We have the products and resources but the knowhow is lacking. “If we are thinking opportunities of promoting our local foods, we should start thinking about BY BEN BILUA to medium food shows only improving this area,” she said. need further improvement. THE Agritourism Policy Unusi said recommendation Setting workshop which kicked Nihopara adds that process left behind by visiting tourist off yesterday has uncovered lots and preparation of popular shows there a need for hotels of opportunities through which local foods like Nambo in to contemporary local dishes the country can benefit from Temotu province and six- as well as organic herbal food the Agritourism industry. months pudding of Makira stuffs. Participants who attend the workshop. province and traditional baking She adds that the The workshop brought of local kaikai by Kakabona together government ministries, recommendations show that women (Guadalcanal), tourists are eager to experience asking where they can taste local “We miss such situation to She said the tourism industry farmers and regional experts Ugele Women (Western) and from Technical Centre how Solomon Islanders do foods but our problem is that, promote our local foods and is growing in the country and Babanga women (Western) are gardening. there is no local food dishes in it is important that we must that the proposed Agritourism for Agriculture and Rural some of the activities classified our hotels even at restaurants. improve on these area,” Unusi Policy is a good start to promote Cooperation (CTA) and under Agritourism. “We came across tourist Pacific Islands Private Sector explained. local dishes. Organisation (PIPSO) to “What we as a country need to discuss possibilities to formulate do is to formulate an umbrella an Agritourism Policy that Multi-Sectoral Policy that would drive the industry in the encourages coherence towards 16 days of activism approaches future. promoting import substitutes and encourage the use of BY ALICE NANTARA International Day for Honiara. do awareness and share basic It was clear during yesterday’s local food produce – focus on Elimination of Violence against information about their services discussions that the country international market creation THE 16 days of Activism will Women and also marks a These concerts will be and objectives. has a huge potential in the and demand. soon take place in the country significant start to the 16 days dominated by some of the big Agritourism industry and and in other parts of the Globe. of activism which is followed names in Solomon Islands A source confirms that the that there is a need for policy “Additionally, supportive entertainment industry whole purpose of the roadshow tourism-related legislation This structured, peaceful closely by other significant dates framework that would drive the up till December 10. including recently crowned was to bring youths together industry forward. permissible by law must be demonstration aims at Miss Solomon Islands 2017 and ensure that awareness of established to promote use of highlighting gender-based Here in Honiara the Side Miss Emily Chan. gender based violence spreads Permanent Secretary of local food produces and lastly violence and providing By Side Movement have out wide. the Ministry of Culture and there must be a policy guideline initiatives that will truly have a been organising a community Top notch performances from Tourism, Mr Andrew Nihopara that create direct link between positive impact. roadshow that will take place in young renowned artists such as Hallies Entertainment is the said Solomon Islands has a lot Resorts and agriculture through three different locations over a Bibao, Jah Boy, Rosie Delmah, host and plays an important role of potentials that should add Approximately 164 countries Sean Rii of Dezine, Jaro Local in arranging and managing the community involvement,” he will join in in this international period of three days. values to existing agritourism explained. and many more are sure to pull up-coming event in which the activities in the country. campaign to challenge violence First pop-up concert will be on in a massive turn up. Oxfam Office funds and directs. Nihopara stressed that the against women and girls under November 28 at Laundry Valley He said the establishment of proposed Agritourism Policy one chosen theme focussing west of Honiara, the second will Non-government 16 days of Activism was food festivals such as the Yam, will be a very important piece on one particular area of be held at Green Valley on the organisations (NGOs) and initiated back in 1991 by the Banana Festivals and chocolate of legislation that will certainly inequality. 28th while the final show will be businesses houses will also be first woman’s global leadership week coupled with other small part of the three-day event to institute. boost Agritourism initiatives. November 25 is the held at Lungga Raintree east of WWF and ESSI help communities CBSI strengthens manage coastal fisheries financial institutions WORLD Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) will work with Ecological Solutions, Solomon Islands (ESSI) in Western Province to help communities manage of Solomon Islands their coastal fish populations. THE Central Bank of Solomon is mainly to minimise loss of business Country Director for WWF, Shannon Islands (CBSI) has released two new associated with a disaster event. Seeto, signed the Memoranda of Prudential Guidelines (PG) that will As for PG11, its implementation Understanding with ESSI Director, help strengthen and stabilise the means that financial institutions in David Boseto on Friday November 10 at work and operations of all financial the country are required to have a the WWF office in Gizo. institutions operating within Solomon Islands. minimum “outsourcing framework” Mr Seeto said WWF has built a strong before they can outsource any of relationship with ESSI over years of Following the CBSI Board of their material business activity to a conservation work in Western Province, Directors meeting on October 25, third party service provider, either in and the signing of this agreement 2017, in Buala, Isabel Province, the country or outside of the country. solidifies the valuable partnership going board unanimously approved PG PG11 makes it clear that any forward. 10 and PG 11, which are guidelines on business continuity management outsourcing arrangements must “We work with ESSI in communities and outsourcing requirements be done with careful consideration in Ghizo and surrounding islands to help respectively. minimise actual, perceived or communities manage their fisheries and potential conflict of interest situations map their land and sea resources. The Board were supportive that may arise from such outsourcing over the development of these arrangement, and requires approval “We look forward to our future work Signing of MOU between WWF Country Director, Shannon Seeto, and ESSI Director, David Boseto. Photo from Nicole Lowrey two guidelines and acknowledged from Central bank. together.” that their inclusion were timely for the Solomon Islands economy The main objective of PG11 is to Mr Boseto said that both organisations Community monitoring is important, Managed Marine Areas and trained minimise risk of loss associated with are working towards achieving similar especially in strengthening resilience as community members are the first individuals in fisheries monitoring. of financial institutions to natural outsourcing arrangements. goals, and by working together it affected by declining fish stocks, and can will enable ESSI and WWF support The Spawning Potential Survey, where disasters and further enhance the According to CBSI, the PG’s will respond with management measures to stability of Solomon Islands financial come into force on December 1, communities and government to work help the fish population increase again. community members measure fish and towards addressing environmental their potential for breeding, has shown sector. 2017. Financial institutions have issues and work together for a healthy ESSI have also been engaged to work that some species of fish are declining. The implementation of PG10 90 days to report to CBSI on their environment. with communities on Ridge to Reef Communities are now working on plans means that financial institutions in compliance to submit to CBSI a plan mapping and planning. This work helps to help the fish to rebuild to sustainable Solomon Islands will be required or timeframe for rectifying areas of ESSI and WWF will be working communities to identify their resources levels. non-compliance. in partnership to implement the to have a minimum framework on land, high in the ridge, and at sea, and to ensure their core businesses can The issuing of PG’s is part of CBSI’s government’s national policy map areas of importance. ESSI was established in 2012 as a team of Community Based Fisheries of local environmental experts and has rebound or recover quickly (in short overall financial stability function. Management. This then helps communities with helped build the capacity of communities time) in any disaster event. So far, CBSI has issued 12 decision-making about the use of the and local conservation organisations in For customers, this means that core prudential standards, eight for As part of this work, ESSI will help land and sea. environmental management. coastal communities monitor their businesses or services can return to commercial banks, and three for fish populations and pass on skills to WWF has worked in Solomon Islands ESSI is also involved in documenting normalcy quickly as they can still provident fund and one for credit community members to identify and for over twenty years and has helped the flora and fauna on Choiseul Island. have access to banking services. unions. measure different fish species. many coastal communities create Locally --WWF-PACIFIC PRESS The underlying objective of PG10 --CBSI PRESS