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Reducing post-harvest food (PHL) losses remains a  critical component to ensure future global food security. But how much food is lost? According to FAO estimates, annual food losses are around 1.3 billion tonnes globally. The concept of food losses is defined differently, in developed countries food losses arise at the consumer stage with food which is processed and ready to eat while in developing countries food losses occur at the...

Agriculture in the Pacific Island Countries is largely dependent on smallholder family farms that often have access to less than two hectares of land. Labour for these farms often depend on household members.  The challenges of poor economic geography, including small market size and large distances between local and export markets, costly marketing infrastructure, and lack of domestic value-adding opportunities have reduced the competiveness of these farmers.  In spite of these challenges,...

6 June 2015, Rome - An agreement signed today between the Government of Fiji and FAO upgrades the Organization’s Representation in the Republic of Fiji and will serve to strengthen joint efforts to enhance food security and to tackle climate change. “This agreement means a lot to Fiji,” said Fiji’s Prime Minister, Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama. “We are very excited about the FAO move, not only to the region, but to...

The whole planet is being affected by its devastating impacts. Shifts in rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and sea surface temperatures have had disastrous effects on rural production, food security and livelihoods, especially among developing countries. Dr da Silva told the 11th FAO Southwest Pacific Agriculture Ministers Meeting in Port Moresby that this problem has existed for several decades, but unfortunately it has been neglected for many years by the international...

Agriculture has to be climate, environmentally and economically ‘smart’ now and for the future – there is no other option for sustainable livelihoods in the Pacific. This was the message delivered to the 11th FAO Southwest Pacific Ministers of Agriculture meeting. Dr Andrew McGregor, managing director of agribusiness consulting firm, Koko Siga, in Fiji, made a presentation on the vulnerability of Pacific agriculture and forestry to climate change. McGregor informed the meeting...

The eight agriculture ministers and one associate minister have expressed great satisfaction with the outcome of the 11th FAO Southwest Pacific ministers meeting. The ministers thanked the FAO and the PNG Government for the successful hosting and chairing of the meeting in Port Moresby. Cook Islands Minister for Agriculture, Kiriau Turepu, said it was his first meeting and described it as an “eye opener” on many agricultural issues affecting the people...

FAO Director General, José Graziano da Silva and Solomon Islands Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Augustine Maeue signed an agreement to establish FAO representation for the Solomon Islands.  The agreement was signed at the 11th FAO South West Pacific Ministers of Agriculture Meeting. Assistance in Solomon Islands has focused on building the evidence base for policy-makers and supporting local food production. FAO is working in partnership with stakeholders in the Pacific to...

The Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Assik Tommy Tomscoll, has expressed his gratitude to FAO for its support to the Pacific region. Minister Tomscoll also acknowledged the presence of the ministers from the Southwest Pacific region who participated at the 11th FAO Southwest Pacific Ministers of Agriculture meeting. Minister Tomscoll thanked the FAO Director-General, Dr Jose Graziano da Silva, for his efforts in giving special consideration to the needs of the...

The Eleventh Meeting of Southwest Pacific Ministers of Agriculture under the theme “Climate Smart Agriculture” began today with Papua New Guinea Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva highlighting some of the pressing issues affecting the countries in the region. “I believe that the theme Climate Smart Agriculture is timely in view of the fact that the Pacific region is highly vulnerable to adverse climatic conditions...

On 13 March, Tropical Cyclone Pam caused severe damage to agriculture in Vanuatu’s six provinces posing immediate and long-term threats to food security. The government of Vanuatu through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Biosecurity requested FAO assistance in responding to  agriculture. In response, FAO has begun providing assistance to over 10,000 cyclone-affected farming households in Vanuatu and has secured 600 kg of vegetable seeds from international suppliers. The...