Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama [Source: Fijian Government]

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says Pacific Island biodiversity is under intense pressure from climate change and human-induced disturbances.

In his capacity as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Bainimarama delivered a bold statement at the UN Food Summit.

He says food security must be recognized as a cross-cutting aspect of human development and a fundamental building block for sustainable development.

He says the Pacific’s greatest challenges include sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, and ocean acidification, all of these combined will impact our culture, water and food security, livelihoods, biodiversity, health and wellbeing.

He says Agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors are vital to national and regional recovery efforts, therefore, coordinated, integrated and ecosystem based sustainable development approaches are required to improve resource management practices and to rebuild food security and livelihoods.

The Chair says the Pacific region is also grappling with Non-Communicable Diseases, a crisis that is closely linked to food systems, health and nutrition.

Bainimarama says food security has been identified as a key driver of change for improving the socio-economic well-being of all Pacific people.

He also stated that the region has stepped up its efforts to guide investments and reforms necessary to ensure resilient sectors so that the Pacific region can achieve food sovereignty from the contribution of Pacific resources and Blue Foods to global Food Systems.