Food Security

Projects have been implemented by DEMA to assist in preserving the breadfruit staple food tree by managing a replantation farm site in Menen District.

Nauru Media News reports DEMA Horticulture Farm Manager Bern Dowouw said they are focusing on replanting staple foods in particular the breadfruit tree.

The objective of the project is to improve the security of food that is being consumed by the locals and with that other staple food trees will also be replanted.

With the frequent amount of imported goods, local staple food trees tend to be forgotten.

In the Pacific, it's triggering what the aid organisation is calling a "pandemic of child malnutrition".

Researchers found that food prices have gone up significantly in many Pacific countries, including by nearly a third in Vanuatu.

There is also evidence that one in five Pacific households have been eating cheaper meals, or skipping some altogether, because they can no longer afford a healthy diet.

The APEC economies have been urged to work together to waver the challenges and create opportunities for women participation in sustainable agriculture and fisheries for food security and revenue generation.

PNG delegate and Chief Livestock Advisor with the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Regina Nukundj, said women in agriculture and fisheries play an important role in supporting their households and communities.

This was discussed during a workshop on ‘Food Security and Bio-Security in Melanesia’,  organised by The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) School of Biological and Chemical Sciences (SBCS) at the Laucala campus in Suva on 5 April, 2016.

The workshop looked at land snails as pest agents, including biosecurity risks and disease transfer, and how introduced species leads to the decline in self-sufficiency and healthy food production. The potential for using edible native snails and their sustainable use was also discussed.

The Department of Health Nauru, in collaboration with Food Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization (WHO), held a one day workshop on “Strengthening Food Control Capacity in Nauru” with representatives of local communities.

The workshop was conducted by FAO’s Consultant Dennis Bittisnich and the main issues were how to improve food safety, what problems consumers are facing on Nauru regarding food labelling, food imports and inspections, and how these problems can be solved.