Workshop on the Sustainability of Pacific Food Systems

From October 2nd to 6th, the regional workshop on the sustainability of Pacific food systems, organized as part of the Pacific Territories Oceanic Regional Ecosystems Management Project (PROTEGE), and funded by the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), opens the doors to cooperation in the region.

Food security and Pacific food systems are threatened by the effects of climate change and general inflation. Recognizing that this situation will have more severe consequences for our region if not managed integratedly now, the Pacific Community responded to the request from French Polynesia to organize a regional workshop on the sustainability of food systems.

The workshop officially opened its doors on Monday morning, with the presence of Éliane TEVAHITUA, Vice President and Minister of Culture, Higher Education, Environment, Land, and Crafts, in charge of Relations with Institutions, and Taivini TEAI, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, in charge of food and research.

For this opening day, about a hundred participants were present, including policymakers, scientists, public and private actors, civil society, from New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna, as well as representatives from the European Union (EU), the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization), joined by various actors in the food system of French Polynesia.

To strengthen the regional integration of French Pacific territories and to adopt an Oceanian approach to food issues, some ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) countries in the Pacific region such as Fiji, Kiribati, and Samoa were also present.

Throughout this workshop's opening day, the participating delegations were able to present and share their programs and experiences in favor of facilitating access to healthy and nutritious foods, supporting the development of agricultural, aquaculture, fishing, and agri-food sectors to enhance the resilience of their food systems in the face of climate change.

It is noteworthy that this workshop on the sustainability of food systems in the Pacific pursues a dual objective:

Sharing the lessons learned from the PROTEGE project with stakeholders and participants in the Pacific.
Peer learning and sharing experiences throughout the Pacific on food environments, access to healthy and nutritious foods, support for the development of the agri-food sector, and strengthening the resilience of food systems in the context of climate change.