After Devastating Cyclone Winston, Fiji farmers plant for a changed climate. In this article, NPR takes a look at how Fijian farmers are coping with climate change. Their farming adaptations include diversifying crops, terrace farming, and in cases like the popular root crop, taro, reverting back to older varieties which can grow more easily in a harsh climate.
“Everybody recognizes that disaster is a fact of life for us. It’s very much in our face, and we can’t turn around,” says Sashi Kiran, founder of the Fijian non-profit Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises & Development (FRIEND). As farmers continue learning how to harvest in a quickly changing climate, their adaptations offer a model for other storm-prone communities worldwide.
