When we care for the environment, we safeguard the future for generations yet to come, says former President and Tui Macuata Ratu Wiliame Katonivere.
Speaking at the inaugural Fiji International Landscape and Sustainable Agriculture Conference in Nadi, Ratu Wiliame said this was the essence of stewardship.
“Therefore, it is not measured by authority alone,” he said.
“True leadership is measured by stewardship.
“It is about making decisions today that will benefit our children tomorrow.
“It is about having the wisdom to look beyond immediate gains and understanding that the choices we make today will determine the future of our people and our environment.”
Ratu Wiliame said the land care philosophy resonated strongly in Fiji through steward leadership.
“It reminds us that lasting change begins with communities themselves.”
He said the three-day Fiji International Landscape and Sustainable Agriculture Conference comes at an important time for Fiji and for the Pacific region.
“We find ourselves in a season of reconnection and transformation, a time when we are being called back to the values that have sustained our people for generations, while embracing new knowledge and innovation to meet the challenges of a changing world.
“For us as iTaukei people, the vanua is far more than the land beneath our feet.
“It is our identity, our history, our culture and our way of life. It connects our people, our traditions and our future.
“The well-being of our vanua is directly linked to the well-being of our communities.
“When the land is healthy, our people prosper.
“When the forests thrive, our rivers flow clean.
“When our soils are protected, our food systems remain strong.”
The three-day conference is supported through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) funded project: Landcare: an agricultural extension and community development model at district and national scale in Fiji.
The gathering brings together a diverse group of farmers, researchers, community leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and changemakers from across the Indo-Pacific region, focused on strengthening agricultural extension systems, supporting farmer engagement and applying Landcare and LIFE approaches in the Fijian context.
