IFAD, Tonga Launch $5.3M Rural Resilience Drive

The programme will scale up community and cluster farming models, allowing farmers to pool land, labour and tools to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Kingdom of Tonga have signed a US$5.3 million financing agreement for the Tonga Rural Innovation Project – Phase III (TRIP III), a six-year programme designed to strengthen climate resilience, boost food security and expand rural jobs across the Pacific island nation.

The initiative is expected to benefit around 35,000 people — more than one-third of Tonga’s population — by improving agricultural productivity and strengthening communities’ ability to withstand climate shocks and natural disasters.

Building Resilience Beyond Survival

“We are moving beyond local development to confront the defining challenges of our time — from climate change and eroding biodiversity to rural youth unemployment,” said Reehana Raza, IFAD Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “TRIP III is a testament to IFAD and Tonga’s shared commitment to building long-term resilience.”

Tonga, an archipelago of 170 islands, is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. Small-scale farmers face repeated cyclones, rising sea levels and volcanic disruptions, including the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption, which contributed to nearly a 6 percent decline in real GDP in 2021–2022.

Six-Year Plan to Strengthen Agriculture and Jobs

Running from 2026 to 2031, TRIP III builds on two earlier phases and aligns with Tonga’s Agriculture Sector Plan II. Key priorities include:

• Diversifying crop production

• Promoting climate-resilient farming practices

• Supporting biodiversity protection

• Expanding market access for small-scale farmers

• Creating on- and off-farm jobs for rural youth

The programme will scale up community and cluster farming models, allowing farmers to pool land, labour and tools to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

It will also strengthen linkages to domestic and export markets, addressing longstanding barriers faced by outer island communities with limited infrastructure and connectivity.

Innovation Facility Targets Youth and Sustainability

A central feature of TRIP III is the establishment of an innovation facility that will enable farmers — particularly young people — to pilot and scale sustainable agricultural solutions.

Potential investments include:

• Mechanisation services

• Greenhouses and drip irrigation systems

• Digital agriculture applications

• Value-added processing

• Waste utilisation technologies

“TRIP III is designed to deepen our impact,” said Candra Samekto, IFAD Country Director for the Pacific Islands. “We are committed to securing Tonga’s food and nutrition security by integrating climate-resilient practices into rural community life.”

Financing Structure

The total project cost amounts to approximately US$15.46 million. IFAD will provide a US$5.3 million grant, while domestic and international partners will contribute an additional US$10.16 million.

Building on Strong Results

TRIP III marks the sixth project in IFAD’s US$33 million rural development portfolio in Tonga.

The previous phase, TRIP II, concluded in 2025 and exceeded expectations, reaching nearly twice its target population — more than half of whom were women. The programme institutionalised bottom-up community planning, empowering villages to design development strategies tailored to their needs.

Cluster farming supported under TRIP II generated significant marketable surpluses, with profits reportedly reaching TOP 242 million (approximately US$104 million), demonstrating the commercial viability of cooperative rural production models.

A Long-Term Bet on Rural Transformation

With most of Tonga’s population concentrated on Tongatapu and outer islands facing limited access to technology and markets, strengthening rural resilience remains central to national stability and economic growth.

By combining climate adaptation, agricultural innovation and youth employment, TRIP III aims not only to help rural communities withstand future shocks — but to create pathways for sustainable prosperity in one of the Pacific’s most climate-exposed economies.