Bilateral Meeting with The Honourable Sa'aga Talu Teafa, Minister of Natural Resources Development; and The Honourable Hamoa Holona, Minister of Education and Human Resources Development of Tuvalu

Nadi, Fiji - At the SIDS Solutions Forum held in Nadi, Fiji, the FAO Director-General met with The Honourable Sa'aga Talu Teafa, Minister of Natural Resources Development, and The Honourable Hamoa Holona, Minister of Education and Human Resources Development of Tuvalu.

Ministers Teafa and Holona expressed gratitude for FAO’s role in agrifood systems transformation and praised the Director-General’s leadership. They discussed the Hand-in-Hand Initiative’s progress across four outer island communities, with plans for further expansion. They also highlighted the need for FAO’s technical assistance to enhance local research capacity, addressing agricultural challenges and strengthening food security resilience.

In particular, Minister Teafa requested urgent FAO support for a coconut disease outbreak in Tuvalu, to which the Director-General confirmed FAO’s technical support, and suggesting sample collection and analysis for timely intervention.