FIJI - FIDJI

The Honourable Militoni Leweniqila, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry and of the Agricultural, Landlords and Tenants Act of the Republic of Fiji

I bring to you all greetings from the Government and the people of the Republic of Fiji. I am indeed honoured to be here, amongst the world's major stakeholders in our collective quest for world food security. I should like to take this opportunity, also, to express our appreciation to the FAO and the Government of the Republic of Italy for facilitating the participation of my Delegation at this very important forum. The subject matter of this forum is one that touches deeply the very essence of our livelihood.

Our participation at this Summit, having travelled half-way around the world to get here, is a testimony of our seriousness and commitment to the objectives and outcome of this Summit. Further testimony is also provided by the fact that we tried to participate as much as we could in the preparatory work leading up to the Summit.

As an island micro-economy, remote from its markets, Fiji manifests all the inherent problems characteristic of developing countries in this very highly competitive world.

Our food supply situation is still characterized by a heavy dependence on overseas food imports. In some cases, production of some major local food items has actually declined. One reason for this is due to the changing focus of our agriculture systems, as dictated by international trade. This has meant the concentration of our limited resources on the production of cash crops for the export market. This has also meant that for our domestic food production the costs of production are relatively high, and consumers opt for competitively high-priced imported foods. Thus our predisposition to dependence on food imports.

Many of our producers for the domestic market are still operating on the basis of a semi-subsistence regime. Many aspects of this system provide reliable insurance against food insecurity at the rural community level. For this reason, and others, we are still committed to supporting this sector. The challenge for us is to strike the right balance between this sector and the commercial agricultural sector.

In the pursuit of our agricultural aims, my country is very concerned about the effects of indiscriminate deforestation for logging purposes, and clearing of mangroves for land reclamation. My country is also extremely concerned about environmental degradation, resulting in rising ocean levels massive erosion of the land, pollution of food sources, and especially the depletion of our seafood resources due to indiscriminate and over-fishing.

The foregoing are just a few of the issues that confront my country. Whilst we recognize that there are factors that are beyond our control, we however, equally recognize that there is much that we can do ourselves to help our own people. Fiji sincerely believes that the outcome of this World Food Summit will set the direction for the international community towards a common objective, that of food security at all levels.

My Delegation endorses all the elements of the Rome Declaration on World Food Security, and fully supports the Summit's Plan of Action. We have internally, in some measure, formulated and are implementing various policies and strategies that comply with the Commitments set out in this World Food Summit.

In concurring with Commitment One, my Government is totally committed to the revision of an environment that is conducive to the attainment of food security for all our people. We have established a National Food and Nutrition Committee. Its major objective is to advise Government on matters relating to food and nutrition, aimed at halting the deteriorating national health situation and reversing it. With the establishment of this Committee, Government has been able to focus in some detail on the food and nutrition implications of development projects. This has brought about a deepening of awareness of these critical aspects of development, and has greatly assisted the formulation of plans of action for improved food security. This Committee will provide the focal point for the follow-up to the Plan of Action arising out of this Summit.

Relating to Commitment Three of the Plan of Action, Fiji has set up a National Disaster Management Committee to prevent and prepare for natural disasters and to facilitate rehabilitation and prepare for early recovery. This was set up with the assistance of international donor agencies. Development of the country has also brought its share of environmental problems that have reached a critical stage. The Fiji Government recognises that conserving the environment and promoting development are mutually dependent. Recently, monitoring and management systems were set up through the establishment of a Ministry of Environment.

Fiji is a signatory of the World Trade Organization and is fully committed to the elements embodied therein. Fiji, however, still seeks various concessions from the international community. We also continue to require development and technical assistance in order to maximize our full potential, thus satisfying the needs of our population and our trading partners.

Fiji has put in place a range of policies in line with Commitment Six, to give scope to the effective operation of the private sector. We also have policies to ensure that the public sector is efficient in its role.

In conclusion, the long-term sustainability of national food security in Fiji is precarious, given our over-dependence on food imports. To reverse the trend, we have to look seriously at developing and strengthening our own capacities in improving domestic production of our food supplies and ensuring the establishment of relevant supportive infrastructures.

We need to increase producers' incomes and purchasing power in order to arrest the deterioration in household food security. We need also to reverse the declining trend of domestic food production for local use. We need to evaluate properly the changing dietary patterns of our population. We also need to address the high costs of local foods in order to be able to improve the opportunity, and indeed the goal, of food security.

To ensure sustainable development and positive attitudes towards the attainment of food security, all stakeholders in this critical endeavour need to cooperate in a partnership which ensures greater efficiency and effectiveness. This will go a long way to ensuring that food security becomes a reality in our everyday lives.

I am grateful for this opportunity to share ideas with you on an issue that, for me and my country, touches the very heart of our livelihood.