Pacific Community The South Pacific Region THE PACIFIC

Pacific Community The South Pacific Region

THE PACIFIC REGION – OCEAN OF ISLANDS • Land area of 553, 959 sq. km in 33 mn sq. km of ocean • Contains about 25, 000 islands • Ranging in size from small atolls to land masses the size of Papua New Guinea (area of 462, 840 sq km) – 83% of the land area • Home to 8 mn people • Predominantly rural population but rapid urbanization – more than 40% in urban areas in a few countries

CHALLENGES FACING THE PACIFIC REGION • Small populations and economies • Weak institutional capacity in both public and private sector • Remoteness from international markets – high costs of transportation • Susceptibility to natural disasters and climate change • Fragility of land marine ecosystems • Limited fresh water supply • High import dependency • Vulnerability to exogenous shocks

CONTEXT • Uniqueness of the Pacific • Food security • Nutritional security – linked to health problems – poor quality food – very high rate of NCDs • Need for improved livelihoods, especially for farmers

PRIORITY RESEARCH NEEDS – DEALING WITH ALL NR SECTORS • Value-adding (inclusive) for niche markets (domestic and export markets). Needs to be considered within a value chain approach. Assists issue of convenience food • Crop improvement – supports value-adding and climate change. Also for nutritional superiority • Climate change – mitigation and adaptation. Modelling sadly lacking

PRIORITY RESEARCH NEEDS • Participatory approaches to research and extension – to develop an understanding of different systems. To include innovation systems • Policy to support agriculture for development; • Community-based systems for managing resources to ensure sustainable utilization and maximizing productivity • Biosecurity and Trade Facilitation - market access