The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, Hon. Manoa Kamikamica, delivered the keynote address on the margins of the World Food Forum 2025 and the Hand-In-Hand Imitative Investment Forum at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, Italy.
Speaking to the global leaders, DPM Kamikamica emphasised that the Pacific innovation is deeply rooted in community knowledge, collective resilience, and cultural values. He underscored how ancestral practices are being strengthened with modern technology to create adaptive and climate-resilient food systems across the region.
He highlighted the Digital Earth Pacific program, which uses decades of satellite data to monitor coastal change, soil health, and climate change, allowing the governments and communities to make science-based decisions while building on time-tested traditional systems like agroforestry, intercropping, and rotational planting.
His Excellency Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in his welcome remarks highlighted the importance of shared visibility and collective action to address the climate-agriculture nexus.
Dr. Qu also acknowledged that “working together can be challenging,” but stressed that this is precisely why global partnerships are essential. “No one can change the size of the value chain alone,” he said, urging countries and stakeholders to foster trust, align strategies, and “create solutions that are visible, practical, and shared.”
Hon. Kamikamica further stated that Pacific communities have always understood the interconnectedness of ecosystems “from reef to river, from farmer to fisher.” Through mechanisms such as the Pacific Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services and the SIDS Solutions platform, local innovations are being amplified and scaled to strengthen regional resilience.
The Deputy Prime Minister also reaffirmed that women, youth, and MSMEs must remain at the center of agrifood system transformation, noting that they are “the heartbeat of resilience and innovation in the Pacific.”
“The Pacific may be small, but we are vast in solutions. What happens on our shores today will happen on others tomorrow,” Hon. Kamikamica stated. “Investing in Pacific agrifood resilience is not an act of charity, it is a strategic global investment in climate stability and food security.”
In a powerful appeal, Hon. Kamikamica called on FAO and the international community to bridge the gap between climate finance and frontline communities.
The Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed Fiji’s commitment to driving this transformation through public–private–people partnerships, the revival of the co-operative movement, and investments in climate-smart agriculture, including indigenous crops such as breadfruit and taro.
As the world prepares for COP30 in Brazil, Hon. Kamikamica emphasised that the Pacific must be heard, not as victims of the climate crisis, but as leaders with solutions.