Agriculture in Tuvalu

Farmers cultivate crops in deep trenches reaching the water table, filled with natural fertilizers to overcome the limitations of poor alkaline soil.

Since the mid-nineteenth century, copra production became central to Tuvalu's economy, with annual yields reaching 30 tons on Funafuti island alone.

The ownership of pulaka pits and coconut trees determines traditional status in Tuvaluan society, reflecting agricultural land's social importance.

Local agriculture focuses on coconut, pulaka, taro, bananas, and breadfruit, with seventy-five percent of the population participating in food production.

Rising sea levels infiltrate underground cultivation pits with salt water, threatening the production of pulaka, a primary traditional food source.

GPS coordinates: -7.47539,178.67536

Latest update: March 3, 2025 10:43