From Barren Land to Biodiverse Gardens

From Barren Land to Biodiverse Gardens is providing displaced atoll communities with sustainable livelihood opportunities in Yap Proper in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Fast facts:

The settlement today harbours 55 households from seven atoll islets in an area of approximately one square kilometre.
In this area, the Gargey community in Yap Proper grows about 40 different food crops and over 100 different varieties of food crops, including fourteen varieties of taro.

The problem

Atoll communities in Micronesia are among the most economically and environmentally vulnerable groups. Hardships have forced communities to migrate to Yap Proper, Yap’s main island, in search of better livelihood opportunities – particularly after the devastation caused by climate change. Decreased rainfall and rising sea levels are disturbing the traditional taro patches, low-lying forestry systems and other ecosystems.

The solution

Since 2006, the Co-operative Research and Extension of the College of Micronesia with financial assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture (from 2006-2012), has been providing a comprehensive outreach assistance programme to these displaced atoll communities. The Gargey inhabitants in Yap Proper received training on methods including small plot intensive farming, micro-gardens, raised beds, container home gardening, agroforestry and integrated farming with livestock. Broadening local indigenous knowledge on soil management and food production by incorporating scientific knowledge was essential given the physical and chemical properties of the volcanic red soils.

Helping the planet

After several crop cycles, the traditional and science-based knowledge, along with human ingenuity, has helped the communities successfully re-establish biodiverse home gardens. Sustainable practices such as mulching the soil and agroforestry have increased the climate resilience of these smallholder systems. Today, these home gardens have become sustainable food production systems containing a mixture of traditional root crops, fruit and nut trees and vegetables.

Helping people

Ever since the atoll communities began migrating, the Gargey settlement has become a multi-ethnic centre of cultural diversity endowed with unique cultures which have brought a rich diversity of crops with them. Even though they originate from different atoll islets, the displaced communities live in harmony.

Scaling Up

Following the successful habitation of Gargey settlement, two other locations on Yap Proper are currently being settled by migrating neighbouring atoll communities. The extension programme’s success with Gargey community has enabled them to provide similar outreach assistance to these new immigrants. They are expanding the programme and experimenting with biochar-based soil remediation, testing the effect of biochar on Yap’s degraded volcanic soils.