Mr Soane Patolo Jr

CEO – MORDI Tonga Trust, Adjunct Associate Professor, Researcher – Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research

Soane Patolo Jr. is Chief Executive Officer of the Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovation (MORDI) Tonga Trust and an Adjunct Associate Professor (Rural Development) at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. With more than two decades of experience, he leads major rural development, climate resilience, and food systems programmes supported by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, IFAD, GEF, and other development partners. He actively collaborates with ACIAR, the University of Melbourne, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and research institutions across New Zealand, Japan, and the Pacific. His work focuses on climate-smart agriculture, resilient food systems, and community-led development. He was awarded the Royal Order of the Crown of Tonga by His Majesty King Tupou VI in 2021 and the Lincoln University International Alumni Medal in 2023.