Dr Ramona Stephanie Sulifoa | ACEO for the Agriculture and Fisheries Sector Coordination Division
Strong women leaders are evermore present in modern agriculture and we are seeing the rise in the
female demographic in Agriculture at all levels in recent years. As a Ministry we are proud to see this
reflected at the national level with over half of our ACEO positions currently held by women who
contribute their expertise and diverse experiences towards improving the future of agriculture in
Samoa
One of these pioneering women is ACEO of the Agriculture and Fisheries Sector Coordination
Division (AFSCD), Dr Ramona Stephanie Sulifoa, who is the first person to manage this newly
incorporated division inside MAF and also the only holder of a PhD in the Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries.
Dr Ramona is currently managing the Samoa Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity and Marketing
Project (SAFPROM) for the Ministry in partnership with the World Bank and International Fund for
Agriculture Development (IFAD).
Leading a large scale national project is not for the faint hearted but Dr Ramona’s passion to serve
farmers has kept her focused on leading her team through the many challenges of implementing
SAFPROM.
“I believe Agriculture can be the mainstay of our economy. The concept cannot be realised without
having people who see that same vision. At times it becomes difficult to see the light at the end of
the tunnel, but knowing that each paper signed, each approval takes us closer to reaching the end of
that tunnel and that flickering light.”
“Growing up and experiencing first-hand the challenges that my family had to go through to make a
living off agriculture has instilled in me the need to serve our farmers in any way I can and within my
capacity. My current position allows me to do that, to serve knowing that I am working towards a
bigger vision. At times I am mentally and physically fatigued, but I keep getting up knowing that at
the end of the day my small contribution is my daily prayer and I am working to serve my people.”

As a teenager Dr Ramona developed her love for research from her parents and grew up
appreciating the challenges they faced in raising a family while sustaining an income from farming.
“My dad really ignited that research spark and interest in the area of agriculture in me. My mum was
one of the best sales people you could come across and she would always find ways to sell our
vegetables and instilled in me the value of marketing products. The struggle on a daily basis to sell
and sustain an income from farming was real! I remember having to sleep in the old Savalalo market
with my mum when it used to be packed with farmers to ensure that we had a block to sell our
vegetables the next day.”
Dr Ramona graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture at the University of South Pacific and
went on to complete her Masters Degree in Agriculture, majoring in Agriculture Economics. Along
her journey she also discovered a passion for being an educator, teaching Biology, Agriculture
Science and Commercial Studies at Saint Joseph’s College.
Dr Ramona worked her way up the ranks taking up roles in national and regional organizations
relating to Agriculture and Science including MAF, USP and eventually FAO. It was during her time at
FAO that Dr Ramona realized that there were barriers to women becoming decision makers in
Agriculture and in order to be heard; she needed to continue her academic journey at the PhD level.
“I saw the need to equip myself with the correct credentials and tools so that I could be heard as a
decision maker in the field of Agriculture. It is a field dominated by males and I saw the need for
more females. It is also a field where the younger generation does not want to pursue as a career
path both in the field.”
“I hope my choices will to be able to teach the younger generation about agriculture and its
importance in the development of our country and I firmly believe that agriculture is the foundation
of our Pacific Island Economies, it just needs to be taken a lot more seriously as a career path and as
a business venture”
After completing her PhD in Natural Resources & Environmental Management at the University of
Hawaii in 2017 under a Fulbright Scholarship, she went on to become the Head of the Agriculture
Department at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) cutting her teeth in management by
juggling her duties as an Associate Dean and Senior Lecturer.
“It really pushed and tested my limits as a manager and as an academic but teaching the next
generation of agriculture enthusiastic in the Solomon Islands was such an honor knowing that my
students also stand and believe in change.”
“During this time, I also led research and consultancy work as well as the writing and submission of
publications for my team which involved a lot of strategic thinking, planning and always having three
other plans lined up noting that changes were inevitable along the way. In addition, the ability to be
able to adapt to situations and get results through team work was also something I learned from
SINU. “
“While in the Solomon Islands, I kept looking for the opportunity to come back home to serve and I
was very fortunate to have secured the position of Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Agriculture
Sector Coordination Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

”Dr Ramona was appointed an ACEO of MAF in 2019 and believes the key to good leadership lies in
seeing the true value of team work contributing to adapting and exploring new ideas, methods of
working, and testing these out together to see what will work best.”
“I am very results focused and I want my team to be leaders, I do not like micro-managing my teams
work and believe that people need to lead and make mistakes along the way in order to learn.
Growing up in a family where my father and mother raised us to be independent and to make our
own decisions and to follow what we wanted to achieve in life has really influenced who I am today.”
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