Papua New Guinea joins Pacific countries in new food security programme

By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL

 

Papua New Guinea is among 14 Pacific Island countries ready to implement the Food Security and Sustainable Livelihood Programme (FSSLP).

Established under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the FSSLP goal is to contribute to the achievement of food security by poor and vulnerable populations, and especially women and youth.

It will be a framework for improving food security and sustainable livelihoods in the Pacific islands into the future

The key elements of food security are availability, accessibility, utilisation and stability.

The programme will look at improving sustainability in crops, livestock, fisheries and agro-forestry mainly providing opportunities for vulnerable and poor households.

It will also look at enabling these households to have access to services, agricultural inputs and markets.

 Other issues include improved capacity, good policies and strategies to address food security challenges.

Two FAO consultants based in Samoa, Aleki Sisifa and Dr Siousiua Halavatau, were in PNG recently to discuss the FSSLP with officials from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and other stakeholders.

 PNG officials were given a briefing at a one-day workshop on the background of the FSSLP, its implementation arrangements and process and obtain stakeholder feedback.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, DAL deputy secretary for technical services, Francis Daink, on behalf of the secretary, said the FSSLP was an up-scaling of the regional programme for food security implemented between 2004-2007, and complimented PNG’s efforts in promoting food security and improving the people’s livelihood.

He said PNG had developed relevant policies and strategies on food security and the FSSLP further strengthened the food security programmes within the country.

The FSSLP will also be guided by major PNG Government initiatives such as the PNG Vision 2050.

He said the workshop was timely as it allowed DAL staff and partners to understand the programme background and objectives and the implementation processes.

The FAO consultants said under the FSSLP there should be more equitable access to programme benefits either from direct interventions to poorer/more-vulnerable groups, women, youth and people in more remote areas as well as indirectly from strengthened service provision and capacity building.

The components of the programme included support to community and household investments, development of service provision capacity and facilities, multi-country support and food security initiatives, and programme management. 

Sisifa said many Pacific Island countries including PNG face similar constraints.

 These are wide geographical spread, small and often remote populations, lack of capacity, evolving policy frameworks, weak market systems and linkages, inadequate infrastructure, weak financing capacity, vulnerability to changes in international trading environment, vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change.

He said the FSSLP made use of experiences from Pacific regional programmes over many years, such as the EU/SPC Development of Sustainable Agriculture in the Pacific 2003-2008, FAO Regional Food Security Programme and others.

The FSSLP will be implemented using existing structures, linkages and collaboration with private sector and other stakeholders.

The consultants urged DAL to start making the necessary preparations including establishment of the national programme steering committee, and update on the priority projects identified for the FSSLP.