World Food Day 2025: Samoa and FAO Celebrate Longstanding Cooperation for Better Foods and a Better Future

Apia, Samoa – World Food Day 2025 was celebrated today in Fugalei Market, Apia. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands, the public event gathered more than 200 participants, from farmers, fisherfolks, market vendors, students to Cabinet Ministers, government officials and members of the diplomatic corps.

In his keynote address, Associate Minister Aiolupotea Tony Aiolupo reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to investing in agriculture, fisheries, and food systems as vital to Samoa’s economic growth, resilience, and wellbeing. He emphasized unity among government, communities, and partners to strengthen local food production and consumption. 

“If we work hand-in-hand, better foods and a better future for all are possible. A future where every Samoan and everyone in the world can access a healthy diet and live in harmony with the planet is possible, “said Guangzhou Qu, FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands.

In his remarks, he also appreciated the city of Apia for hosting FAO’s Pacific Islands office since 1996 which delivers programmes for 13 Pacific member nations and one associate member. This shows Samoa’s prominent leadership in global cooperation for food and agriculture. The longstanding cooperation between FAO and Samoa has led to progress, from modernizing agricultural data systems, to advancing aquaculture, enhancing biosecurity and stepping up climate resilience.

Several reports on food systems, agriculture and fisheries were also launched at the event. These reports were produced by the Government in collaboration with FAO, International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP), European Union (through ‘STODAS’ project on domestic agrifood systems) and other development partners.

These reports highlight the urgency of promoting affordable healthy diets, alongside the need to increase investment, national budget and stakeholder engagement to back Samoa’s national food and agriculture policies.

World Food Day is an annual celebration every 16 October which calls for global collaboration in creating a food-secure world. It also marks the establishment of FAO - the United Nations’ specialised agency which has been leading international efforts to defeat hunger and malnutrition since 1945. This year is the 80^th anniversary of the organization.

In the last eight decades, international efforts have managed to bring down the estimated proportion of global population facing hunger from around 80% to 8%. Despite this progress, achieving ‘Zero Hunger’ Goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 remains a tough challenge.