Participating countries:
Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu

Period:
May 1999 – June 2001

Funding:
Government of Japan – (US$ 69,430)

Project Officer:
Pantjar Simatupang

The objectives:

1. To analyse food availability and its related risks, distribution institutions, uses (household consumption, etc.), commodity balance, aid and related strategies and policies at the national level.
2. To analyse household food availability, access, consumption pattern, nutritional quality and sufficiency, risks, aid, and related government policies.
3. To identify strategy and formulate policy options to improve food security in the respective countries, including the prospect of regional cooperation:

The activities:

1. The project was implemented in collaboration with partner institutes from the four participating countries
   • Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forest, Fiji
   • National Agricultural Research Institute, Papua New Guinea
   • Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Tonga
   • The Research Department, Reserve Bank of Vanuatu, Vanuatu
2. The in-country planning meeting was held separately in each participating countries. The planning meeting was preceded by the co-ordinating meeting held in CGPRT Centre Office in Bogor
3. The regional workshop was held in Sydney, Australia, 12-13 December 2000, to exchange information and knowledge, and to induce common understandings and strategies among participants.
4. Follow-up activities in the participating countries were undertaken, such as: distribution of the country reports, seminars with relevant sectors, use of the studies in the ongoing national projects, breakdown of the findings through the extension services for the people working in the field were also proposed.

The outcomes:

1. The project published four country reports, one integrated report and the proceedings of the regional workshop. Although there was difference in quality among these country reports, they were all welcomed as the authentic publications by the related institutions in the participating countries
   
   CGPRT Centre Working Paper; no. 55
   Food security strategies for the Republic of Fiji

   CGPRT Centre Working Paper; no. 56
   Food security strategies for Papua New Guinea

   CGPRT Centre Working Paper; no. 57
   Food security strategies for the Kingdom of Tonga

   CGPRT Centre Working Paper; no. 58
   Food security strategies for Vanuatu

   CGPRT Centre Working Paper; no. 59
   Integrated report: food security strategies for selected south pacific island countries

   CGPRT No. 40
   Food security in southwest Pacific island countries Proceedings of a workshop held in Sydney, Australia, December 12-13, 2000