The SPC Land Resources Division (LRD) Strategic Plan 2013–2017 spells out the direction for the division’s work programme and budget over the next 4 to 5 years. it clearly articulates LRD’s focus areas and approach to supporting the priorities of Pacific Island countries and territories (PiCTs) for their land, agriculture and forestry sectors. The plan also provides a strategic framework for engagement with national governments, nongovernmental organisations, the private sector, other regional and international agencies, and partners active in the sectors. The strategy thus aims to ensure that LRD’s work is aligned to national priorities and complements the programmes and support of other development partners and agencies.

This is LRD’s third strategic plan and it builds on the experiences and lessons learnt in implementing our earlier plans. Feedback from our key stakeholders and partners, together with recommendations from the 2012 SPC independent external review and the meetings of Heads of agriculture and Forestry Services (HoaFS) and Ministers of agriculture and Forestry (MoaF), has validated the overall strategic thrust of LRD’s work.

The mission of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is ‘to help Pacific Island people position themselves to respond effectively to the challenges theyface and make informed decisions about their future and the future they wish to leave for the generations that follow’. To fulfil this mission, SPC has three divisions, Land Resources, Marine Resources and Social Resources that carry out a widerange of programmes in areas such as health, statistics anddemography, culture, gender, youth and natural resources.Within this broad mandate, the Land Resources Division(LRD) is responsible for issues relating to land, agricultureand forestry. LRD’s key stakeholders are regional governmentdepartments that deal with land, agriculture, forestry,biosecurity and trade facilitation; smallholder farmers and farming communities; and the donor community.