About us

TerraCircle is a consultancy providing services to development assistance, government and non-government organisations.

Our main area of activity is the Melanesian region of the South-West Pacific

TerraCircle members offer expertise in:

  • village food security
  • food security assessment
  • regional surveys of food security, energy needs and plant pathology (see Solomon Island weather coast reports: People on the Edge and Extreme Living, Extreme Need
  • project planning and management
  • project/program, evaluation
  • farming systems for improved subsistence gardening and small-scale cash cropping
  • rural livelihood development and training
  • small scale energy systems appropriate to remote and isolated rural communities utilising renewable energy
  • media services including writing, editing and arranging production of training manuals, reports, evaluations, brochures and online media formats
  • food security evaluation and recovery planning in regions recently affected by environmental and political/civil instability
  • food security and rural livelihoods projects/programme monitoring and evaluation

Development education in Australia includes:

  • presentations and workshops on the agency’s work, effective development assistance, planning to work in international development, community food security
  • practical training in small scale low external input food production (such as organic growing systems for home and community food gardens).

Origins

TerraCircle was formed in 2003 by Tony Jansen, Lisa McMurray and Russ Grayson who had earlier worked with the UTS Sydney-based NGO, APACE.

  • Tony managed the Lalano High altitude Farming project on Malaita island, Solomon Islands
  • Tony and Russ had worked on the AusAID (Department of Foreign Affairs) funded Kastom Garden Project in the Solomon Islands which led to the formation of the indigenous Kastom Gaden Association
  • Lisa project managed APACE’s AusAID funded village electrification program in the Solomon Islands which used micro-hydroelectric technology to bring the benefits of electrical power to remote communities, as well as small livelihood projects based on the energy generated
  • Russ had been project manager of Can Care Lae, a non-ferrous metals recycling, small business and waste recovery project based in Lae, PNG, and operating along the PNG north coast and into the PNG highlands along the Hilans Hiway to Mount Hagen.
  • TerraCircle enabled the continuation of food security, agricultural and training work in the Solomons after APACE withdrew.

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TERRACIRCLE co-operates with other agencies…

  • Kastom Gaden Association
  • Planting Material Network
  • Melanesia Farmer First Network
  • AusAID
  • ACIAR

TERRACIRCLE – our background in development aid

Members of TerraCircle have been involved in the Kastom Garden Programme in the Solomons Islands from 1995 to the end of the decade.

  • Kastom Gaden Association
  • Other projects:
    • Melanesia: Melanesia Farmer First Network
    • Integrated Plant Protection for the Solomon Islands
    • Improved Village Poultry for the Solomon Islands
    • Can Care Lae Project and more…