Mere Naivola
Private Consultant for Agribusiness | Farmer
Mere is an agribusiness professional with skills in value chain development, procurement, compliance, project management, strategic planning and stakeholder management.
Prior to moving into consultancy, Mere worked as a Senior Agribusiness Development Adviser within the Ministry of Agriculture, Fiji. In her work there, Mere collaborated closely with agribusiness stakeholders and provided advice regarding the development of a support program designed to enhance links between smallholders and the private sector. As a farmer herself, Mere is passionate about the ability of research to enhance agricultural production to ensure consistent supply chains that ultimately contribute to the health and wellbeing of Fijians. This motivation drove her to complete a Masters of Agribusiness at the University of Queensland in 2012. Mere also spent four years working at the International Trade Centre Project in Fiji where she managed the agribusiness development of six hundred and fifty registered farmers in Ra Province.
Two perspectives on gender equity
Since the Meryl Williams Fellowship brought them together in 2020 Mere Naivola and Loraini Baleilomaloma Kasainaseva have become part of a strong Pacific network. Here, they share their experiences of working in the agricultural sector and how they are championing change.