Through the support of The Technical Centre of Rural and Agricultural Co-operation (CTA), a Pacific and Caribbean delegation including Women in Business Development were able to attend an International Food Policy Research Institute conference in Ethiopia themed on “Building Resilience for Food and Nutrition and Security”.

Six water tanks means six families’ lives are changed for the better thanks to a generous donation from the Asia-Pacific Ladies Friendship Society of Japan and Samoa Embassy staff. The request came from Women in Business Development to supply water tanks for six families involved in its fine mat weaving project. The society also provided equipment for the organisation’s fetau income project.

Samoa’s newest cookbook Mea’ai Samoa: Recipes from the heart of Polynesia is a finalist for a prestigious international cookbook award.

The Mea’ai Samoa book will represent Samoa and is one of five finalists in the category of Best TV English Cookbook, due to its connection with author Robert Oliver’s food TV show Real Pasifik made by Zoomslide Productions.

Women in Business Development is launching a year-long programme to celebrate International Year of Family Farming.
The world-wide celebration is an initiative promoted by the World Rural Forum and supported by over 360 civil society and farmers’ organizations.

Samoa’s first Farm to Table programme is linking small organic farmers with leading hoteliers and restaurateurs in a bid to boost the farming and tourism industry.
Women in Business Development is working with renowned chef/author Robert Oliver to kick start a local supply programme that has gained the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Mea'ai Samoa: Recipes from the heart of Polynesia is a celebration of food and the Samoan peoples. It is written by Robert Oliver, Tracy Berno and photographer Shiri Ram.

Maluafou College students appeal to Samoa to stop burning garden waste, which contributes to greenhouse gases and climate change. Their mission is to get the nation composting and mulching instead.

Hosted by the nation of Guyana earlier this month, Caribbean Week of Agriculture featured key speakers Women in Business Development executive director Adimaimalaga Tafuna’i, acclaimed chef Robert Oliver and Karen Mapusua from POETCom. The Samoan Government was represented by Associate Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Samoa Lautafi Fio Selafi Purcell.

The winners of a Body Shop NZ make-up award travelled to Samoa to learn more about Community Fair Trade and see Women in Business Development farmers produce virgin coconut oil, which an ingredient that is in 60 The Body Shop products.

Maluafou Secondary School students are trying to rally a flash mob to promote their A2C2 - Action Against Climate Change project.

Think long term and plan out your business and exports on an annual basis, is the message from cosmetic giant The Body Shop International to Samoa’s Women in Business Development.

How do you get Samoans eating more of the nation’s healthiest leafy green vegetables?
That was the focus of a workshop, which was funded by Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR), co-ordinated by Women in Business Development with support from Ministry of Health, last week.

Canada Fund have donated a stand-alone generator to Women in Business that will see the organisation maintain export production orders and markets.

A team from Tokelau is in Samoa for the next fortnight to learn about developing agricultural industries from local NGO Women in Business.

Solar-powered lights to live by, read by and save by are the focus of a Rotary Apia project that is being run in partnership with Women in Business.

Samoa’s finest mats swayed gently through the air as they were paraded in the 2013 Fa’alelegapepe in Savai’i then Upolu this week.

Solid and efficient. That’s how the Australian High Commissioner describes the new Women in Business production house at Nu’u. During his official inspection, High Commissioner Stephen Henningham yesterday (April 17) knocked on the walls of the building that received $27,000 from his office’s Direct Aid Programme.

For most people it’s four wheels and a source of transport, but for Savaii farmer Lautafi Kelemete Luagalau it’s a dream come true.
Eleven months after he started processing virgin organic coconut oil in his home village of Sagone, which is fully organically certified, Lautafi has managed to buy a truck with savings and a bank loan.

The possibilities for agricultural value addition and export in Samoa were highlighted at the Chamber of Commerce monthly members’ meeting held on Monday evening at the SBEC conference room.
For the past year, Women in Business production manager, Stephen Hazelman has focused on increasing exports at Women In Business.

Discussing organic virgin coconut oil as an export commodity was the focus of a visit yesterday to Women in Business’ production site at Nu’u.

Samoa Ambassador to Belgium Fatumanava Dr Pa’o Luteru and Bobby Byll, from the Secretariat of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, took the guided tour to learn more about Women in Business and its activities.

If you support local, then you are supporting the economy.
That’s the message concerning using local farm ingredients from chef Dora Rossi of Paddles Restaurant at Matautu-Tai.