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Pacific Island Nations Drive Agrifood Systems Transformation
Government
Ministers from many Island Nations in the Pacific Island
countries have convened in Rome today, headquarters of the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), to urge the world to join them in taking urgent
action to help island states transform their agrifood
systems to mitigate the negative effects of climate change
and resolve nutritional deficiencies faced by their island
inhabitants. Today marked a significant milestone as
the highly anticipated high-level event, "Transforming
agrifood systems to increase resilience and achieve the 2030
Agenda | Harnessing the potential of Small Island Developing
States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and
Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs)," concluded at FAO
headquarters. Among the esteemed participants, the Pacific
Island countries emerged as key drivers of agrifood systems
transformation, bringing their unique perspectives and
innovative approaches to the forefront. The event
witnessed the active engagement of delegates from the
Pacific SIDS*, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati,
the Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands and
Tonga. Despite the modest size of these countries, their
voices hold great significance in the global discussions on
agrifood systems. The Pacific Island countries have faced
more than their fair share of challenges, particularly
exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly
devastating weather-related events. They have experienced
rising prices and disruptions to their agrifood systems,
highlighting the need for their voices to be heard and their
specific challenges to be addressed in the global
dialogue. At the event, delegates immersed themselves
in substantive discussions, centred on critical topics
relevant to the Pacific Islands and other vulnerable
territories worldwide, such as the least developed and
land-locked countries, with no direct access to the
sea. The pressing issue of climate change took centre
stage, as the participants explored ways to transform
agrifood systems in response to a changing climate. The
Pacific Island countries, well aware of the increasing
incidences and intensity of extreme weather events,
presented innovative practices, methodologies, and
technologies to adapt and mitigate the adverse effects of
climate change. The event also provided a platform to address
the crucial aspect of investment, focusing on bridging the
gap in funding for vulnerable countries. Participants
engaged in thought-provoking discussions, exploring
challenges and potential solutions to accelerate the
achievement of food security and nutrition-related
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. The aim was to
ensure that no one is left behind in the pursuit of
inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems, and the Pacific
Island countries actively contributed their perspectives to
shape these discussions. Hon. Steven Victor, Minister
for Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment, Palau,
emphasized the need for building resilience to shocks and
scaling up productivity. Mirroring a sentiment shared by all
Pacific (and not only) SIDS, he added: “We are all
living the negative impacts of climate change and global
conflicts on our economies, our people, and our food
systems. These negative impacts if not addressed will
continue to put our future generation at risk of
survival.” Hon. Lord Fohe, Minister for Agriculture,
Food and Forests, Tonga, spoke about the importance of
addressing the climate-change-agrifood-system
nexus. “Our country’s challenges require us to
draw on several parallel transformational actions starting
from policy reforms up to the implementation of grassroots
level innovative practices of climate smart and resilient
agriculture systems, and water and soil
management.” Hon. Ruateki Tekaiara, Minister for
Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development, Kiribati,
addressed the importance of inclusive investments to bridge
the gap and leave no one behind in the agrifood system
transformation process: “Kiribati is committed to
advance our contribution to achieve the SDG goals amid the
challenges and external factors challenges … with
investment priorities and noting our challenges with
agriculture, partnership is the key to advance us to the
next level.” Xiangjun Yao, FAO Subregional
Coordinator for the Pacific Islands, emphasized that
"despite being frequently marginalized in global dialogues
and decision-making processes, the voices and perspectives
of the Pacific Islands carry significant worth and should be
integrated into the global discourse. By actively engaging
in events such as this high-level meeting, we can bridge
this gap and strive to address their unique challenges and
foster inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems for
all.” The high-level event was a testament to the
power of collaboration, highlighting the importance of
collaboration, knowledge sharing, and partnership in
addressing the challenges faced by Pacific Island countries
and other vulnerable nations. Through the FAO's initiatives
such as the SIDS Solutions Platform, the Hand-in-Hand
Initiative, One Country One Priority Product (OCOP), and
Digital Village Initiatives (DVI), FAO is working closely
with Pacific Islands countries to support their efforts in
transforming their agrifood systems, building resilience,
and achieving the 2030 Agenda. The high-level
representatives of the Pacific Islands countries
include: Cook Islands: Fiji: Kiribati: Marshall
Islands: Palau: Samoa: Solomon Islands: Tokelau (associate
member): Tonga: ENDS About
FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) is an intergovernmental organization
that works in over 130 countries to help eliminate hunger
and poverty. For more information about
FAO and its programmes visit: www.fao.org Maryia
Kukharava International Communications
Specialist FAO Pacific
Voices from the
Pacific
A high-level event backed by
FAO’s commitment and proven practices to assist its
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