Future Thinkers' Awards winner Wati Mocevakaca concludes her project on diary farmers' perceptions on climate change and its impacts on farming systems
The Future Thinkers' Awards is an initiative led by ACIAR. It was launched in 2022 to enrich PASS-CR scholars' capacity and funding opportunities, empowering them to integrate climate change research into their Masters and PhD projects. Wati Mocevakaca, a scholar with the PASS-CR program, pursued a Master of Science in Agriculture at The Fiji National University while participating in the Future Thinkers' Awards program. Her Masters research concentrated on the dynamics of dairy production and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.
To complement Wati's research, her Future Thinkers award allowed her to explore climate change perceptions of dairy farmers in Fiji. Wati remarked, "Through conducting additional research for the Future Thinkers' award, I had the opportunity to delve deeper into the same study area and engage with the same audience as my Masters research. This allowed me to establish a stronger relationship with the farmers and their households, enabling them to provide honest responses. As a result, I gained valuable insights into their perceptions of climate change and the climatic hazards affecting their dairy farming practices."
Wati emphasises the importance of frequent face-to-face communication with farmers and understanding their lifestyles and cultures to effectively gather information in the Pacific. She notes that farmers have traditionally adapted their farming techniques to seasonal changes, such as anticipating the hurricane season from November to April. Yet, recent weather unpredictability poses new challenges: farmers are experiencing unexpected rain and cold weather during the hot season and rising temperatures even during the hurricane season. Wati identifies that this climatic variability has contributed to a decline in milk production over the past decade, affecting the value of raw milk in Fiji, and farmers now clearly perceive the impacts of climate change on their practices.
In April 2024, Wati was one of two graduates of Fiji National University's College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry who received a Master of Science in Agriculture. Her academic journey, however, was not without challenges. Balancing personal and academic life required effective time management and family support, which she successfully navigated. Wati's research has led to her employment in the Ministry of Agriculture's dairy division. She reports that climate change is a frequent topic in dairy cluster meetings in Fiji, highlighting the need for awareness and effective mitigation and adaptation strategies. Looking ahead, Wati is committed to research in climate adaptation as a priority for supporting dairy farmers. Additionally, she is contributing a chapter to the book Climate Policies: Modern Risk-Based Assessment of Investments in Mitigation, Adaptation, and Recovery from Residual Harm. In a field traditionally dominated by men, Wati's achievements are paving the way for future generations of women in agriculture.