Honorable Ministers, Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen:
- FAO is pleased to have the opportunity to co-organize this year’s Pacific SIDS Solutions Forum here on this beautiful island of Samoa and I am delighted to have a chance to attend the Forum in person here.
- It is fortuitous that we have been able to come together physically here in Samoa for the first time since the start of the pandemic to discuss our response to the twin crises, Covid Pandemic and 5F crisis and use them as an opportunity for long term change to achieve food security and nutrition in the Pacific. And I also appreciate the participants who joined the Forum online.
- As the Honorable Prime Minister of Samoa, Her Excellency Fiame Naomi Mataafa noted at the opening session, there is “urgency for small island states to move forward with transformative food system approaches including government support towards building sustainable, resilient, and inclusive agrifood systems that fit” their respective contexts
- The Forum has therefore been a valuable opportunity for us at FAO to listen to the priorities expressed by our Members and discover new ways of addressing the challenges that confront the region
- We have heard many inspiring stories of how innovations can provide solutions to difficult problems and help transform people’s lives for the better and build resilient and sustainable agri-food systems.
- Our key common challenge is therefore to successfully achieve the transformation of agrifood systems to ensure that they deliver food security and better outcomes for the people of the Pacific, whether in terms of health and nutrition, livelihoods, the revitalization of traditional culture, or social inclusion and opportunities for women, youth, and marginalized groups
- Successful agrifood systems transformation will also be key to achieving the FAO Four Betters: Better Nutrition, Better Production, Better Environment, and Better Life
- As we have seen, the agrifood systems transformation process is a complex and multidimensional undertaking, which will require both a determined effort by governments as well as significant resources in the coming years
- I would like to express my great appreciation to the Honorable Ministers, the country delegations and all the other participants for the many valuable contributions to our discussions during this Forum
- Let me also extend my thanks to our development partners for their participation. Your support will be crucial in helping Pacific Island Countries realize their aspirations and achieve the objectives that have been expressed in the many interesting interventions we have heard over these past three days
- Finally, I express my sincere thanks on behalf of FAO to the Government and the people of Samoa for the exceptional hospitality you have extended to us over these past few days and your precious help and support in making this Forum such a great success. In particular, I’d like to extend my special thanks to HE Minister Laauli for Agriculture and Fishery of Samoa.
Thank you and safe travels.
