3 Religious and Cultural-Spiritual Attributions of Climate-Driven …
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also described a similar situation in which the losses of crops were explained by the
biblical principle that the prosperity of crops comes from God. This has shaped
farmers’ behaviour to accept the negative impacts on the crops as the work of God.
In other studies, Glassman (2018), Konisky (2018) and Schuman et al. (2018) illustrate strong relationships between Christian beliefs and farmers’ behaviours towards
changes in the environment while choosing to remain faithful to their beliefs and
retain trust in God, which was also observed in this study:
We only follow what the leaders tells us to do… if they tell us climate change is the problem
and advise us what we should do to protect our crops then we follow. So we only follow
what was said and preached. (Malu’u, age 70)
Farmers feel that impacts from human activities in their communities affect nature.
These activities include: increased disputes over land for cultivation and construction of new homes; removal of vegetation for farming resulting in soil erosion;
increased runoff due to ineffective drainage systems; and cultivating the same
area repeatedly causing soil infertility. They also highlight folk practices (cultural
behaviours/sorcery) as a negative cause. Some farmers (39.5%) believed that
sorcery, certain plants, foods, and activities (taboos) also negatively affect their crop
production.
There are certain activities which have to be followed to avoid damage to the gardens or
losing the food crops. First, consuming certain foods before going to the garden can kill
crops. They include turtle and Koa (mangrove fruits). It was believed that turtle has a strong
odour and is stuck on your skin when you sweat so if you walk past or go to your garden,
the plants will die the next day. This is true for taro and is still believed. I still believe in this
especially eating turtle because I cooked it and gave it to my grandchildren, they went to their
mother’s garden, and the entire taro died, both the young and the matured plants died. So if
you eat turtle, you have to wait 4 months before going back to the garden, it gives time for
your body to flush out the turtle from your system as it was believed. If you eat Koa, you have
to stay 2-3 months away from your garden. The second belief was a vine. If this vine is found
growing in your garden, it will kill all the grown crops” I am not certain how but whenever
this vine exists, none of the crops will survive. Third, the intimacy of couples was believed
to be a taboo because it is “Nanaiabu” (producing children) and it is against the cultural
belief to go to the gardens straight afterward because it will affect the planting process in
the garden and no crops will survive. However, this belief is dying. Fourth, witchcraft or
magic has long been associated with the supernatural belief which communities because of
jealousy and land disputes. (Sikwafata, age 86)
The communities believe that consuming turtle and the fruit of mangrove (Bruguiera
gymnorrhiza) makes them highly vulnerable to losing their crops, especially one of
the main cultural and economic crops (taro). This traditional belief is prevalent since
farmers have experienced such impacts by consuming these foods. Certain shrubs and
vines are only found in the bushes and not on the coastal areas. They are poisonous and
associated with bad luck if found in the gardens. Sexual intimacy was also forbidden
before being involving in any garden activities since it was believed that it would
affect the growth of crops. Additionally, sorcery was also considered a bad practice
in the Melanesian countries (Foana’ota 2015; Humble 2013). In Malaita, sorcery was
seen as a problem and it was said that farmers themselves suspected other people of
killing their crops through various actions largely arising from jealousy.
51
also described a similar situation in which the losses of crops were explained by the
biblical principle that the prosperity of crops comes from God. This has shaped
farmers’ behaviour to accept the negative impacts on the crops as the work of God.
In other studies, Glassman (2018), Konisky (2018) and Schuman et al. (2018) illustrate strong relationships between Christian beliefs and farmers’ behaviours towards
changes in the environment while choosing to remain faithful to their beliefs and
retain trust in God, which was also observed in this study:
We only follow what the leaders tells us to do… if they tell us climate change is the problem
and advise us what we should do to protect our crops then we follow. So we only follow
what was said and preached. (Malu’u, age 70)
Farmers feel that impacts from human activities in their communities affect nature.
These activities include: increased disputes over land for cultivation and construction of new homes; removal of vegetation for farming resulting in soil erosion;
increased runoff due to ineffective drainage systems; and cultivating the same
area repeatedly causing soil infertility. They also highlight folk practices (cultural
behaviours/sorcery) as a negative cause. Some farmers (39.5%) believed that
sorcery, certain plants, foods, and activities (taboos) also negatively affect their crop
production.
There are certain activities which have to be followed to avoid damage to the gardens or
losing the food crops. First, consuming certain foods before going to the garden can kill
crops. They include turtle and Koa (mangrove fruits). It was believed that turtle has a strong
odour and is stuck on your skin when you sweat so if you walk past or go to your garden,
the plants will die the next day. This is true for taro and is still believed. I still believe in this
especially eating turtle because I cooked it and gave it to my grandchildren, they went to their
mother’s garden, and the entire taro died, both the young and the matured plants died. So if
you eat turtle, you have to wait 4 months before going back to the garden, it gives time for
your body to flush out the turtle from your system as it was believed. If you eat Koa, you have
to stay 2-3 months away from your garden. The second belief was a vine. If this vine is found
growing in your garden, it will kill all the grown crops” I am not certain how but whenever
this vine exists, none of the crops will survive. Third, the intimacy of couples was believed
to be a taboo because it is “Nanaiabu” (producing children) and it is against the cultural
belief to go to the gardens straight afterward because it will affect the planting process in
the garden and no crops will survive. However, this belief is dying. Fourth, witchcraft or
magic has long been associated with the supernatural belief which communities because of
jealousy and land disputes. (Sikwafata, age 86)
The communities believe that consuming turtle and the fruit of mangrove (Bruguiera
gymnorrhiza) makes them highly vulnerable to losing their crops, especially one of
the main cultural and economic crops (taro). This traditional belief is prevalent since
farmers have experienced such impacts by consuming these foods. Certain shrubs and
vines are only found in the bushes and not on the coastal areas. They are poisonous and
associated with bad luck if found in the gardens. Sexual intimacy was also forbidden
before being involving in any garden activities since it was believed that it would
affect the growth of crops. Additionally, sorcery was also considered a bad practice
in the Melanesian countries (Foana’ota 2015; Humble 2013). In Malaita, sorcery was
seen as a problem and it was said that farmers themselves suspected other people of
killing their crops through various actions largely arising from jealousy.