What is Food Security?

In 2009, countries at the World Food Summit agreed that: ‘Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy lifestyle.’

Globally, climate change, population pressure and recent increases in food prices, fuel price upheavals and unstable economic conditions are affecting the availability and access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

Pacific Island countries and Territories (PICTs) in particular are being adversely affected. These global influences are increasing food prices, exacerbating an already heavy reliance on imported and processed foods.  They also contribute to the loss of local harvesting, production and cultural knowledge and create uncertainty around food supply. As such, Pacific populations are at greater risk of malnutrition, foodborne diseases and non-communicable disease (NCD).   READ MORE.

Our vision is that all people in the Pacific have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Pacific Food Summit 2010

The Pacific Food Summit was held in Port Vila, Vanuatu from April 21-23 2010. Ministers, government agencies, regional and national organizations, food industry, academics, community, faith-based organizations and consumer groups were in attendance. In total, more than 170 participants from 22 Pacific Islands countries and areas.

DOWNLOAD THE FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION (ENGLISH, FRENCH).
DOWNLOAD THE SUMMIT OUTCOMES DOCUMENT (ENGLISH, FRENCH).
DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE.

The organization of a Pacific Food Summit was recommended by 7th Pacific Health Ministers meeting in 2007 in Vanuatu . Since then, Pacific Island Leaders and Ministers as well as international and regional organizations, development agencies and other partners have started addressing food security in the Pacific.

Pacific Leaders “committed their governments to immediate action to address food security issues nationally and, where possible, regionally through a range of measures across key sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, trade and transport” (Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting, Niue 2008). In 2009, Ministers of Trade, Agriculture and Health endorsed the concept of a Pacific Food Summit at their respective meetings and several Pacific Countries held National Food Summits, indicating the level of support for moving forward on food security.  READ MORE.

Events

Samoa, Vanuatu , Fiji and the Cook Islands held National Food Summits in 2009. Other Countries are holding National Food Summits in 2010. See EVENTS.

Timeline