Mr. John Mark Male

Work

Mr. John Mark Male is a lifelong subsistence farmer who knows firsthand the benefits of natural farming. Mr. Male’s community once hosted a foreign rice specialist to help improve their rice harvest, only to watch their rice paddies rot with disease after the specialist returned to their homeland when fertilizers and pesticides ran out. The community did not know how to prevent or treat the diseases which afflicted their rice with their available resources and nothing was harvested that year. As a Senior Instructor and Assisting Coordinator for Asia Pacific Sustainable Development (APSD) Mr. Male works to train farmers, especially young adults age 15 to 30, in sustainable organic farming techniques. At APSD Mr. Male teaches a forestry and environment course that demonstrates how to make charcoal and permaculture techniques. He hopes to continue teaching his people how to farm the land for years to come and is especially interested in finding new ways to improve pig farming and poultry production, as they are not only income generating but also play a large role in the Solomon Islands traditional society.

Sending

Organization

Asia Pacific Sustainable Development (APSD) is an educational farm covering more than 4 hectares of flat land. The organization trains youths and farmers in organic farming techniques so that they may make better use of their natural resources. Agriculture is overwhelmingly important to The Solomon Islands, where the bulk of the population depends upon fishing, farming or forestry as the major sources of their income.  APSD also helps empower women through education in a community where women are traditionally restricted to household chores. In an attempt to help promote sustainable practices, APSD also forms cooperatives to help farmers build community networks. APSD serves all people interested in organic farming and has a very diverse student base with individuals of many backgrounds, cultures, and religions.