In Palau, a saying goes: “A mesei a delal a telid.” The taro patch is the mother of our life. For generations, women have grown the root vegetable in wet fields along the coast. Taro feeds families, serves as a symbol of wealth and is exchanged during ceremonies. But rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion and extreme weather are threatening the fields.
A programme supported by the Asian Development Bank now helps these farmers put their work on a new footing. They receive climate-resilient seedlings, training in dryland cultivation and small seed grants to develop enterprises beyond subsistence. Some already process taro into chips, flour and desserts. Demand from the tourism sector is growing.
Rengulbai, a programme participant, describes the change simply: her income has risen, and she shares surplus taro with elders, the sick and community members who can no longer farm. Mesiwal Madlutk has worked her farm in Ngermetengel for twenty years. Her motivation remains clear: families depend on the crops she grows.
The programme connects traditional knowledge with new opportunity. The women keep their role as guardians of the taro, but gain economic independence along the way.