“We too, from our own vantage points, can do whatever we can to help in the overall food resilience or food security.”
That was the message from Fiji Indonesia Friendship Association president and former diplomat Ratu Sereima Tuinausori Cavuilati as Fiji looks to strengthen its food security amid rising costs, global tensions and the growing impacts of climate change.
Ratu Tui said Fiji could learn from Papua province’s experience in building food resilience, particularly at community and household level.
He was speaking during a talanoa session in Suva where Papuan author and PhD student Steve Mara shared approaches being used in Papua to strengthen food resilience.
Ratu Tui said Fiji already had Government policies addressing food security, but more needed to be done at community and household level.
“The opportunity today is to broaden our horizon,” he said.
He said global developments, including increasing fuel prices and climate change, could have a direct impact on food security.
“Climate change also is affecting our land,” he said.
Ratu Tui said communities could not rely solely on Government to secure their food requirements.
The talanoa brought together participants from academia and non-governmental organisations and provided an opportunity to examine food security experiences from outside Fiji.
Ratu Tui said lessons from Papua could help Fiji strengthen self-reliance and better prepare communities for future disruptions to food supplies.
