A Pacific gathering in Fiji last month, discussed the actions required to transform agri-food systems in the Pacific. The conference was attended by the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Environment Service from the Cook Islands, which was also attended by Fiji, Marshall Islands, Tokelau, Samoa, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Federated States of Micronesia.
The purpose of the workshop is to find what each country has in place, in terms of agricultural systems, national environmental policies and how they can implement agrifood systems transformation.
What is Agri-food transformation? Agrifood transformation – Global Sustainable Development Goals of 2019, a report was released which states that Agrifoods systems are an essential part of human survival and to a world free from hunger (source: Environmental Global Commons GSDR) And it also says that Agrifoods systems are unbalanced, which we need to work on a system that will equip us the Pacific SIDs to work ahead of what is predicted in future.
In its discussions, countries have highlighted needs to effectively assist them in transforming national pathways (to strengthen environmental dimensions identified) into action plans with formulated monitoring and evaluation system; and to construct an investment plan based on cost of priority action areas; and to harness science, technology and innovative agrifood systems transformation.
Countries also highlighted little success stories to enhance what they have in place, and how maybe create an effective and efficient mechanism to provide technical support to Pacific Small Island Developing States.
Countries also felt that they would at least need assistance to overcome obstacles during the deliverance and the implementation of the program.
