The National Steering Committee of the Agriculture Investment for Market and Nutrition (AIM-N) Project has held its inaugural meeting on 16 December, marking the formal start of oversight for the six-year initiative.
The meeting was chaired by Solomon Island's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Permanent Secretary Dr. Samson Viulu, who also serves as the committee’s chairman.
Discussions focused on the project’s strategic direction, the committee’s oversight role, endorsement of the terms of reference, review and approval of the 2026 Annual Work Plan and Budget, validation of selection criteria for project recipients in Western, Choiseul and Isabel provinces, and the project’s decision-making processes.
The committee includes representatives from government ministries, donor partners, the private sector, civil society organizations, academia and research institutions, as well as provincial secretaries from the three participating provinces.
AIM-N has a total budget of $19 million and is financed through a mix of loans and grants from the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock is the project’s implementing agency.
Following the meeting, Viulu described the session as successful. “Overall, the meeting was successful because we received a lot of feedback and had rich discussions, particularly from the three provincial secretaries whose provinces were selected for the project, as well as from the permanent secretaries of government ministries present,” he said.
“Contributions from other stakeholders including people with special needs were also well noted and appreciated," he added.
AIM-N Project Manager Samantha Maeke said the meeting was a key milestone, saying that 'the successful convening of this first National Steering Committee meeting marks a major milestone for the AIM-N Project."
“While it demonstrates strong government leadership and coordination in guiding the project, it also reinforces strong collaboration across relevant government ministries, the private sector, civil society organisations, and people with special needs representatives," she said.
Maeke said the committee’s approval role is critical to implementation.
“There are certain key governance, planning and operational documents within the project, such as the Annual Work Plan and Budget, that require NSC approval,” she said. “Without this approval, project funds cannot be released. We are pleased that the 2026 Work Plan and Budget has been approved.”
Provincial leaders welcomed the project and signaled their readiness to participate. Isabel Province Supervising Provincial Secretary Rex Manase said the province looks forward to implementation.
“As a province, we are willing to work with all stakeholders involved in implementing the project,” he said. “While we acknowledge coordination challenges, we are very much looking forward to seeing the project carried out in Isabel Province.”
Choiseul Province Provincial Secretary Geoffrey Pakipota thanked the ministry for selecting his province.
“I want to thank MAL for identifying our province as one of the project areas,” he said. “For Choiseul, this project is a major boost and a trigger for agricultural development, and we look forward to its implementation.”
Western Province Provincial Secretary Patrick Toiraena said the project would help address long-standing challenges.
“We see the AIM-N project as an important intervention that will add value to what our farmers and the province are already working on,” he said. “Logistics and resources are a challenge for our people, but this project will support rural farmers and our growing population, while also helping to reduce non-communicable diseases by improving nutrition and food security in the province.”
The project targets 65 rural communities, schools and organizations and is expected to benefit more than 18,000 people, with women making up 50% of beneficiaries and youth 20%. It aims to improve nutrition and food security, reduce rural poverty and build resilient farming systems by strengthening indigenous traditional farming practices.
The steering committee meets twice a year. Its next meeting is tentatively scheduled to be held in Choiseul Province in 2026. Provinces not included in AIM-N are covered under other initiatives, including the World Bank-funded Solomon Islands Agriculture Rural Transformation project implemented by the ministry.
