The Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, Dr Mariyam Mariya, has officially inaugurated the Vaadhoo Green Farm, a flagship community-led initiative that underscores the Maldives’ growing commitment to sustainable agriculture, food security and climate resilience and the interlinkages of these key issues with broader development goals such as gender equality.
Developed through a partnership between UNDP Maldives, the Vaadhoo Association for Future Development and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, the project combines commercial-scale hydroponic farming with renewable energy systems. According to the association, it is among the largest hydroponic farms in the country powered entirely by clean energy, integrating solar-powered irrigation and cooling systems, rainwater harvesting, and environmentally sustainable growing media.
Designed for high-yield production, the facility is expected to produce up to 600 kilogrammes of cucumbers and 400 kilogrammes of leafy vegetables per growing cycle. The ministry projects the farm will generate more than USD 5,000 in monthly income, strengthening local livelihoods while reducing reliance on imported produce.
A central pillar of the initiative is women’s economic empowerment. The ministry highlighted that women have been trained to operate hydroponic systems, while 25 women have received specialised training in solar equipment maintenance, contributing to greater gender parity within the agricultural and renewable energy sectors. In total, more than 40 community members have been trained to ensure the smooth operation of the facility.
Vaadhoo now boasts 32.5 kilowatts of solar generation capacity, cutting diesel consumption by 32 per cent and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 20 tonnes. The ministry stressed that the project aligns closely with the administration’s sustainable development goals and stands as a practical example of disaster risk mitigation in the face of accelerating climate change.