Mission & Justice

10/6/08

Over the past few decades Pacific Islanders have become increasingly reliant on imported staples such as rice, flour and noodles and are vulnerable to global price increases as a result. This is according to a statement by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community on behalf of Pacific Island Countries and Territories at the UN-sponsored World Food Summit 08 in Rome. The statement said this is especially true for atolls where limited land, water and poor soils make it difficult to grow much beyond breadfruit, taro and coconuts. Reliance on imported food has also caused deterioration in the diets of Pacific Islanders and rates of obesity and diabetes are amongst the highest in the world. The current crisis could lead to further deterioration if consumers respond by switching to cheaper, lower quality food items. Transport costs associated with importing produce represent a significant proportion of input costs in the Pacific given the distance of most Pacific Islands from major markets. Increasing fuel prices are therefore exacerbating the situation. Recent natural disasters in some countries, for example cyclone Gene in Fiji and landslides and flooding in Papua New Guinea have also affected domestic production.

See: http://www.thenational.com.pg/061008/wkender5.php

Tags: health, Pacific

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 7:56 am and is filed under Aid / Trade, Health & Children, Human Rights, Pacific Region. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.