Food Security

Organized by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the #APRC37 convened, in-person, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the Host Country from 19-22 February 2024, with high-level representation of government ministers and leaders from across the vast region.

The purpose was to review proposals and decide upon a course of action to transform the region’s agrifood systems, making them more fit-for-purpose and to ensure food security for billions of the region’s inhabitants.

One of the resettlement pillars is food security, and the Authority has been very meticulous about this aspect.

MaRA does not want to resettle people and then later go through the trouble of having a food security solution. For that reason, they have started an Agriculture Multiplication & Distribution Centre, where they test plant and harvest food crops to store away for the displaced Manam Islanders once they are resettled.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between OTDF Chief Executive Officer Havini Vira and FPDA Chief Executive Officer Mark Worinu at FPDA’s head office in Goroka.

The purpose of the MoU is for OTDF and FPDA to partner in implementing food security program in the South, Middle and North Fly Community Mine Continuation Agreement (CMCA) trust regions of Western.

The Acting Director General of the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Warea Orapa, echoed this concern during a stakeholder analysis workshop for a plant health programme called PlantwisePlus.

The workshop was staged in early May under the auspices of the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, at NARI’s Momase regional research centre in Lae.

It marked the inception of the PlantwisePlus programme, which will be rolled out in collaboration with NARI and the National Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection Authority (NAQIA). 

Key points:

• Scientists are working to scale up seaweed production in Australia
• Seaweed can be used as food for humans and animals
• Scientists say it has the potential to address a variety of environmental and climate change challenges

University of Queensland School of Earth and Environmental Science PhD candidate Scott Spillias's study found expanding seaweed farming could help reduce demand for terrestrial crops.

Key points:

• A CARE International report has found 150 million more women than men didn't have reliable access to food in 2021
• The report found higher gender inequality is closely linked to higher food insecurity
• Women who didn't earn an income were more likely to experience food insecurity

"I'm head of a big household. I was a teacher. We lived on a 4,000 to 5,000 Afghanis ($64-$80) monthly salary, but now we live with big problems," she told humanitarian non-government organisation CARE International.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations food security definition, is when “all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

FAO in Papua New Guinea last week hosted a virtual Food Systems Summit Dialogue.

The dialogue consisted of three sessions: two panel sessions and a breakout session for guided discussions.

As delegates from around the world meet in Port Moresby for the APEC Food Security Summit, communities across PNG are benefiting from a range of agricultural initiatives developed and implemented by the resources industry to boost agriculture in project areas.

Recently, the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture trained 39 women from Hengambu, Yanta, Babua and Wagang villages in Morobe Province on food preparation. The training was conducted by the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) in Lae.

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 the message at a workshop on environment and food security on Lou Island, Manus.

The UNDP funded project through the Lou Island Coastline Rehabilitation, a non-profit organization launched the ‘Plant a Tree” initiative last week.

The workshop was attended by people from Baluan,Lou and Pam Islands,

President of Balopa LLG, Ngenge Sasa told participants that most island and coastal communities fail to plant new trees to replace the aging coconut trees.

“Most of the coconut trees we live on now were planted by our grandfathers and parents,” Sasa said.