Fiji remains focused in the fight to reduce hunger, speaking at the World Summit on Food Security in Italy, Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama told Heads of States and Governments that the Fiji Government has prioritized and included this vital objective of fighting hunger in Fiji’s Roadmap for Democracy and Sustainable Development (RDSSED) 2009-2014.
PM Bainimarama also highlighted that Government has recently approved the Food and Safety Decree which sets out in detail various measures needed to be adhered to and implemented that will stop the production and more importantly, the importation of substandard and unhealthy foods.
“In mid-October 2009, my Government convened a National Food Summit. The Summit brought together stakeholders from Government, the private sector, and civil society to discuss the global economic phenomena, its impact on hunger and food security and the measures that Fiji should put in place to mitigate the risks.
PM Bainimarama added Fiji recognises the co-ordination between the public and private sector including civil society groups is crucial to any successful strategy in particular to have an impact at the micro level while increasing output on a commercial basis, also.
“To this end my Government has embarked on a land reform programme which shall result in more land being available for productive use. The reform shall result in tracts of vacant communally owned indigenous land and state land being made available at market rates on long term lease in particular for agricultural purposes and other productive use.
“Indeed the National Food Summit recommended that agriculture must be given priority by inter alia empowering the rural, subsistence and small holder farmers which is to be complemented by investment in supportive infrastructure,” he said.
PM Bainimarama told Leaders at the Food Summit that the non-availability of unhealthy foods in the market and the focus on healthy foods, which can be grown locally, results in intake of nutritious food and security of supply.