Women Lead Revival of Giant Swamp Taro in Palau Through Climate-Smart Farming

KOROR, Palau ( Dec. 19, 2025) — “When women are involved from the beginning, solutions last,” a lesson borne out on Kayangel Atoll, where women farmers are leading the revival of giant swamp taro — a culturally and nutritionally vital crop — through innovative, nature-based solutions supported by regional and national partners.

For generations, giant swamp taro has been central to food security, culture and livelihoods on Kayangel, Palau’s northernmost atoll. But in recent decades, cultivation has sharply declined as taro pits became less productive, pushing communities toward imported, processed foods and contributing to rising health and economic pressures.

Through the Funding with Intent (FIT) program, the Pacific Community (SPC), working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment (MAFE) and local communities, set out to understand why traditional taro farming was failing — and how it could be restored under increasingly harsh climate conditions.

Researchers from SPC’s Land Resources Division found that the decline was not caused by sulphide toxicity, as previously suspected, but by degraded soil conditions. Testing across three taro pits showed high sodium levels, low potassium, compacted soils and prolonged waterlogging were undermining plant survival, problems made worse by climate-driven saltwater intrusion, flooding and drought.

Armed with this evidence, the project’s second phase moved from research to action. Demonstration trials were co-designed with farmers and MAFE to suit Kayangel’s fragile, alkaline soils and limited freshwater supply — with women growers playing a central role throughout the process.

Women advised against using pandanus for planting structures, noting its importance as a household income source, and instead led the weaving of planting baskets from coconut leaves. Organic matter from dried leaves and roadside vegetation, usually discarded, was collected and reused to improve soil structure and fertility.

Three planting methods were tested in two taro pits: conventional planting, raised coconut-husk beds, and raised basket planting using coconut-leaf baskets filled with soil and organic matter. These sites had previously seen zero plant survival.

After six months, the results were striking. Raised basket planting achieved survival rates of about 75 percent in one pit and more than 80 percent in the other, far outperforming the other methods. Conventional planting showed little to no survival, while coconut-husk beds declined sharply over time.

The basket system improved drainage and aeration, lifting taro roots above saline groundwater and helping plants withstand fluctuating water levels — conditions becoming increasingly common on low-lying atolls as climate change intensifies.

Beyond improved yields, the project highlighted the strength of inclusive, people-centered approaches. Women were involved at every stage, from identifying problems and weaving baskets to planting, monitoring and reflection, ensuring practical knowledge was shared and retained within the community.

Community discussions also revealed growing concern over saltwater intrusion, alongside renewed optimism that abandoned taro pits could be reclaimed. Engagement with the Bureau of Agriculture and the Palau Organic Growers Association has opened pathways to integrate the findings into extension programs and explore scaling the approach to other atoll communities.

Together, the two FIT projects demonstrate how science, traditional knowledge and locally available resources can work hand in hand to address complex climate and soil challenges. For Kayangel — and potentially other atolls across Palau — the restoration of giant swamp taro offers more than food security. It represents resilience, cultural continuity and the leadership of women at the heart of climate-smart agriculture. (Source: SPC)