The Courier

The Pacific islands, as every expert points out, face three main problems – isolation, scarce resources and frequent natural disasters. These three issues have a significant impact on the food security of the islands, in particular the smaller ones such as Tonga, Niue and Vanuatu.

Dependency

This geographic isolation puts a great strain on the price of import and export goods. K.L. Sharma, a professor at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, explains that limited natural resources results in a dependency on imported goods and the level of dependency has grown in recent years owing to the joint effect of the three factors outlined above. However, there is also the attractiveness of imported commodities which are attractively packaged and often good value-for-money. K.L. Sharma believes that inconsistent government policies have also caused some imported commodities to replace local production. An example of this is that the local production of Fijian rice has fallen from 29,000 to 14,000 tonnes between 1993 and 2002. “This,” Sharma says, “is mainly on account of the withdrawal of government assistance in the form of agricultural products or technical advice, the non-renewal of concessions, the deregulation of the market and, finally, the preference for imported rice which has become less expensive than local rice”. And despite recent efforts by the local authorities to revitalise the sector, Fiji remains a net rice importer: a commodity whose price has reached record levels during the first quarter of this year. Another factor is the devastation of crops by cyclones. Few Fijians have forgotten the effects of cyclone Ami which destroyed farms, infrastructure, cash crops and food crops in 2003. The estimated cost of the damage amounted to US$66M.

The Samoan experience

However, traditional crops and animal husbandry – manioc, taro, coconuts, breadfruit trees, pigs and poultry – are still to be found in abundance on many islands. In Fiji, subsistence production (as opposed to large-scale commercial production) has even succeeded in penetrating the markets of the cities, providing food for a large proportion of urban residents whose numbers are growing rapidly. K.L. Sharma says that in 2002, “subsistence production represented 6 per cent of the GDP and 37 per cent of agricultural, forestry and fishery production”. These figures are impressive and Fiji is often held up as an example for other Pacific islands to follow: as although they possess strong traditional agriculture they lack experience in business development.

But, as always, there is that unquantifiable factor to be taken into account – cyclones.

“Grow as many yams as you can, and put them to one side in case of cyclones. If there’s no taro, breadfruit or bananas, then yams will provide a food reserve”. This advice from a Samoan farmer was incorporated into a technical document drawn up by the United Nations Network for Rural Development and Food Security. The longer yams are left in the ground, the greater their yield. Most important, this commodity is not subject to the effects of hurricanes. But the big question remains, ‘what can be done once the cyclone has passed?’ Shortages of water and food can last from two weeks to eight months and this document looks at other strategies to adopt such as giving priority to crops that grow quickly, such as manioc and sweet potatoes. For storage, farmers have recommended a return to local traditions such as allowing the breadfruit and bananas to ferment in a hole dug in the ground (the so-called “biscuit of Samoa”). Such advice is vital for a population where two-thirds are dependent on subsistence farming (including forestry and fishing) for their survival.

Imported cereals

For the people of the Pacific islands the increasing use of cereals such as rice and wheat is taking its toll. According to K.L. Sharma’s latest estimates the Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga are now 100 per cent dependent on the import of cereals and the dependency of Fiji has risen from 79 per cent to 90 per cent during the period 1993/2002  - principally on account of the decline (50 per cent) in its rice production.
Over the same period, Papua New Guinea has seen its dependency drop slightly (99 per cent to 97 per cent), while that of the Solomon Islands has risen from 91 per cent to 95 per cent. All of the islands are now 100 per cent dependent on imports for wheat flour.
The dependency on rice imports for the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji now range from 65 per cent to 100 per cent.

The qualities of taro

Taro, talo, dalo, dago, aba, anega, aro, ma – a lot of different names all for the same plant which has been consumed for centuries by the people of Oceania. While its name may vary from island to island, its tasty tubers and leaves provide consistent nutritional value. And what nutritional value with fibre, calcium and iron from the tubers, and vitamins A, C, B2 and B1 from the leaves. However, this “nutritional treasure”, as the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) refers to it is under threat.

As the FAO explain, “Taro no longer occupies the important place that it once did in everyday life on many islands and it has frequently increased in price. People who work all day often find that it is much quicker to cook rice than to grow or buy taro and prepare it. Lots of islanders choose to buy rice instead of this wholesome tuber for the simple reason that it is quicker to cook”. Rice is high in protein and calories, but does not compare favourably with taro in terms of mineral salts and vitamins. The FAO add that, “Vegetables imported from Europe at great expense do not stand comparison with this tasty tuber high in nutritional values, and which is widely available in the region”. The FAO’s technical document does not just contain nutritional and technical information it also offers recipes. To try them out go to http://www.fao.org/WAIRdocs/x5425f/x5425f01.htm

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