Viliami Toalei MANU

A professional Chief Executive Officer of Tonga’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests to my first appointment from the 10^th October 2016 to 10th October 2020, and then one year later re-appointed from 31^st October 2021 to 31^st October 2024. Led the ministry with professional skills in leadership and management of the operation of the ministry, delivering its quality services to the agriculture sector, ensuring national food security, increasing exports of diverse high quality agricultural products, as well as sustaining agricultural resources and resilient to the changing climates.

A Director of the Research and Information Division for nine years, skilled at seeing the “big picture”, while always directing research to solve complex agricultural problems of high national priority with affordable, inclusive and sustainable solutions. Always focus in increase diversity of plant and livestock genetic resources, as well as different farming systems integrating crop rotations with livestock and legume fallow. Managing the few qualified staff, expatriate employees as partner regional and

international institutions and agencies.

A Director of the Food Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fisheries for six years in establishing the National Food Safety and Quality Assurance System with its modern Food legislations. With the assistance of FAO, the Food Bill was drafts in 2004 followed by consultations process before it was finally submits to Parliament in 2006. In 2014, the National Food Act 2014 was enacted, with further review, finally, passed by the Parliament 2020, Food Act 2020.

An experienced Research Scientist for eleven years in designs, field surveys, field/screen-house trials, laboratory experiments, data captures, analyses, reports and communication of scientific research results on conservation of soil, plant genetic, water and biodiversity resources, climate change resilience, agronomic to the policy decision-makers, farmers, clients, scientific journals, etc. . With training of extension staff and farmers on various technologies for production of squash, watermelon, papaya, etc. for export. A part-time teacher of Diploma in Agriculture students of the Ministry of Education from 1992 to 2004.

An experience Chemist from 1982 to 1985 and from 1990 to 1995 in establishing, operate and managed the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Research Division of the ministry dedicated to chemical analysis of soil, plant tissue and water for macro- and micro-nutrients with experience in GLP laboratory requirements and procedures, uses of standardized chemical extraction methods and analytical results documentation for final study records.

Directing numerous number of development projects of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forest in collaboration with FAO, ACIAR, CSIRO, AusAID, NZ PMI, NZAID, SPC, China Foreign Aid, Taiwan Foreign Aid, University of Queensland, University of Sunshine Coast, University of Perth, University of South Pacific, South Pacific countries, etc., on rural community/farmers development, commercial farmers development, export industry, agricultural production and protection sustainable, piggery/biogas/vegetables system, agricultural technologies, soils, biosecurity, environment, ecology, pesticides residues, climate change, agricultural meteorology, etc. for 35 years.

A dedicated National Pesticide Registrar with more than 34 years of experience in managing the import, provision of advice and trainings on safety of Pesticides into farmers, students, communities, etc. in Tonga.

Developed and established from MapInfo Software: first, digital Land-use Suitability Maps for the islands groups of Tonga, for land suitable for subsistence crops production, mechanical commercial crops production, fruit trees production, pastoral production and forest trees production; second, digital land maps for farms crop production surveyed for crop’s area, growth, pest infestation, projected yield, etc.

The official member of the Chemical Review Committee of the FAO/UNEP Rotterdam Convention’s Conference of the Parties, attending the 12^th, 13^th, 14^th, 15^th Meeting Chemical Review Committee from 2015 to 2019. In addition, I was the official Designated National Authority for Tonga to the FAO/UNEP Rotterdam Convention’s Conference of the Parties on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Pesticides in International Trade since 2012 until October 2020.

The official National Contact Point for Tonga to the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission since 2007. In 2007 to 2008, Tonga was selected the Regional Coordinator for the FAO/WHO North America South West Pacific Regional Codex Committee region, attending the 60^th, 61^st, 62^ndSession of Executive Committee of Codex Alimentarius Commision and also the 30^th, 31^st, 32^nd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Lastly, I was selected the official National Codex Contact for the FAO Genetic Modified Platform since 2013.