Nadi, Fiji – The deepening global financial turmoil and soaring energy and commodity prices have serious adverse effects on poorer households, women and children. Rapid action is needed to avert increased child malnutrition and increase the availability of affordable food on local markets, said the Chairperson of FAO’s South West Pacific Ministers for Agriculture today.

Speaking at the opening session of a worskshop in Nadi, minister Pokotoa Sipeli from Niue expressed serious concern about the immediate and long-term future growth and development of the fragile economies and environments of Pacific island nations.

“Higher food prices force poor islanders to reduce consumption of foods or buy cheaper foods of poorer quality and low nutritional value”, alerted minister Sipeli.

Small-scale, low-input and low production farming systems in Pacific islands need urgent support and assistance to kick-start superior productivity and diversification, allowing for quality foods for local consumption and exports.

This will require substantive reforms, investments and comprehensive assistance to address the interlinked issues of food and agricultural security and climate change.

A three-day workshop in Nadi organized by FAO together with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is bringing together Pacific island countries and development partners, donors and civil society to review a proposed four-years programme for food security and livelihoods in 14 Pacific island countries.

“Progress has been achieved over the last decennia, but much more is needed”, stressed the minister, “in particular in areas of enhanced cooperation and building a stronger voice for the Pacific.”

The multi-stakeholder Food security and sustainable livelihoods in the Pacific (FSSLP) programme aims to increase and sustain food availability and access; improve food safety and diets; and stabilize agricultural production and household incomes.

“Programme interventions will target enhancing agricultural production and productivity, rural infrastructure, and strengthening agricultural trade, policy and planning, information systems, climate change adaptation and mitigation”, said Vili Fuavao, the Pacific regional representative of FAO.

Ensuring effective and accountable delivery of the anticipated outputs and results, is one of the issues on the table, allowing for leveraging additional support and resources from Pacific island countries, development partners and donors, an FAO statement said.
“There is an urgent need to focus efforts and activities on the promotion of local food security to assist in developing increased self-reliance and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities for Pacific Island communities. Particular attention must be paid to vulnerable populations such as women, youth, remote poor rural communities, particularly those on outer islands and atolls”, noted Ron Hartman, IFAD’s country programme manager for the Pacific Islands.

“Improvements in agricultural productivity and food and nutritional security at country and regional levels should be relevant and constitute adequate responses and sound investment options for many years to come. These principles were endorsed by the recent Apia Conference of Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry”, added Aleki Sisifa who is acting deputy director-general.

Countries attending the Nadi workshop are Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

For more information contact Diderik de Vleeschauwer, FAO information officer, on cell phone +679 937 2604 or email [email protected]


More information at:
http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/en/