JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Coronavirus infections have barely reached many of the remote islands of the Pacific, but the consequences of the pandemic have been enormous, disrupting the supply chain that brings crucial food imports and sending up prices as tourism declines.
In the face of a food crisis, many governments have taken Community initiatives to alleviate shortages: extending fishing seasons, extending indigenous food collection lessons and supporting seed distribution programs that allow residents greater autonomy.
“We initially started with 5,000 seeds and we thought we would finish them in nine months. But there was a great response and we finished distributing the seeds in a week, “said Vinesh Kumar, head of operations for the Fiji Ministry of Agriculture.
The project provides residents with vegetable seeds, seedlings and basic agricultural equipment to help them develop their own home gardens.
Fiji resident Elisabeta Waqa said she planned to start a garden before the pandemic, but – without a job, extra time at home and seeds from the ministry and friends – she finally took action.
Seeking to have “zero financial investment”, Waqa collected buckets, crates and other possible planters thrown on the side of the road and in the trash. Soon her yard turned into containers with green beans, cucumbers, cabbage and other products.
“When I started harvesting about two or three weeks later, I realized, ‘God, this is a hobby that people have had for so long.’ I thought about how much money I could save by doing this, ”Waqa said.
Geographically isolated, with limited arable land and increased urbanization, many of the Pacific island countries and territories have seen their population shift from traditional agriculture-based work to tourism. The trend has created an increased dependence on imported foods, such as beef, noodles and other highly processed foods, instead of the traditional diet of locally grown products such as nutrient-rich yams and taro.
Eriko Hibi, director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Liaison Office in Japan, called the change a “triple burden” of health problems: malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity.
When the pandemic hit, almost all countries in the region closed their borders. Supply chains – including farm and food fertilizers – have been disrupted, leading to rising prices. In Suva, Fiji, the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables rose by up to 75% in the first few weeks.
At the same time, tourism – which Hibi said accounts for up to 70 percent of some countries’ gross domestic product – has stopped, leaving thousands unemployed with little access to food.
“It’s not just about the availability of prices in the market, but also about the declining purchasing power of consumers,” Hibi said.
In Tuvalu, the government has organized workshops to teach young people how to produce indigenous food, such as planting taro and collecting coconut sap. In Fiji, the government has extended the fishing season for coral trout and the group, which could be sold for income or used as food. Many governments have encouraged residents to move back to rural areas with more independent independent food resources.
Tevita Ratucadre and his wife moved back to a rural village in Fiji to save on rent and food after being fired from the hotel where they worked because of COVID-19.
In the city, “you have to buy everything with money, even if you have to put food on the table,” Ratucadre said. “In the village you can cultivate your own things.”
After watching his parents grow up as a child, Ratucadre said he is able to remember how to plant and grow cassava stems from a neighbor. Now he grows enough food for his family, he said.
“When I used to work, I bought everything I wanted to eat when I went to the supermarket,” he said. “Now I have to plant and eat whatever I planted.”
Mervyn Piesse, research manager at the Australian Research Institute’s Future Directions International, said it’s too early to know what the potential health benefits might be, but regional diets could shift from imports to more fresh foods. even after the pandemic.
“I think there is a movement in some parts of the Pacific for people to start thinking, ‘If we can grow food on our own during a global pandemic, why can’t we do the same in normal times?’ “Piesse said.
Waqa said he has already made up his mind – although he has started working again, he has taught his older children how to take care of the garden and harvest the produce while they leave.
“Now I save money on food, I know where my food comes from and I feel safer when I eat,” she said. “I don’t want to go back to how things were before.”
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