Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
The world’s Small Island Developing States (SIDS) share unique vulnerabilities, resulting in a complex set of food security and nutrition challenges. Because of their small size and isolation, SIDS are particularly threatened by natural disasters and the impacts of climate change. Many have limited arable agricultural land and depend on small scale agriculture, ocean resources and high-priced imports, as well as a high incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Further, the triple burden of malnutrition is often a reality in SIDS, with undernourishment, micronutrient deficiency and obesity coexisting within the same country, community and even household.
The sheer scope of the challenges facing SIDS means closer international cooperation and a more integrated approach will be required to support them in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The impacts of COVID-19 are exacerbating these challenges and uniquely rolling back gains that were made in achieving the SDGs in these countries.
What FAO does
FAO has a proven record of supporting SIDS in their efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, transform food systems, and empower people and communities to lead healthy and productive lives. Most recently, during the 2021 SIDS Solutions Forum, co-hosted by the Government of Fiji and the Food and Agriculture Organization, in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union, the SIDS Solutions Platform was launched. FAO created the Platform to facilitate knowledge sharing and accelerate progress for achieving the SDGs, specifically those related to agrifood systems, nutrition and the environment.
The SIDS Solutions Platform is a process that encompasses the Forum, a dedicated online platform and technical assistance to SIDS. Among other things, it seeks to encourage innovative intra and interregional knowledge exchange to incubate, promote, scale up and replicate locally grown ideas to accelerate the achievement of agriculture, food, nutrition, environment and health related SDGs in SIDS. In 2022, the SIDS Solutions Dialogue series, jointly organized by the FAO Liaison Offices in Brussels, Geneva and New York and the FAO Office of SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs was incorporated into the Platform.
The FAO SIDS Solutions Dialogue Series is a joint initiative of the FAO Liaison Offices in Brussels, Geneva and New York, in partnership with FAO’s Office of SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs (OSL). It is incorporated into the SIDS Solutions Platform that aims to encourage innovative intra- and interregional knowledge exchange to incubate, promote, scale up and replicate locally grown ideas to accelerate the achievement of agriculture, food, nutrition, environment and health related SDGs in SIDS. The Series that initially aimed to inform governments and development partners in Brussels, Geneva, and New York of the outcomes of the 2021 SIDS Solutions Forum, now explores the transformation of food systems in SIDS.
Here is a list of SIDS Solutions dialogues so far, in reverse chronological order:
18/04/2023: Outcomes of UNFCCC COP27 and their implications for Small Island Developing States
29/09/2022: Fisheries and Aquaculture
31/05/2022: Building Agriculture Resilience in SIDS
01/02/2022: Outcomes of the SIDS Solutions Forum