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Ferguson CE, Tuxson T, Mangubhai S, Jupiter S, Govan H, Bonito V, Alefaio S, Anjiga M, Booth J, Boslogo T, Boso D, Brenier A, Caginitoba A, Ciriyawa A, Fahai'ono JB, Fox M, George A, Eriksson H, Hughes A, Joseph E, Kadannged S, Kubunavanua E, Loni S, Meo S, Micheli F, Nagombi E, Omaro R, Ride A, Sapul A, Singeo A, Stone K, Tabunakawai-Vakalalabure M, Tuivuna M, Vieux C, Vitukawalu VB, Waide M. Local practices and production confer resilience to rural Pacific food systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mar Policy 2022; 137:104954. [PMID: 35035031 PMCID: PMC8746868 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2022.104954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Resilience of food systems is key to ensuring food security through crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented shock that reveals varying levels of resilience of increasingly interconnected food systems across the globe. We contribute to the ongoing debate about whether increased connectivity reduces or enhances resilience in the context of rural Pacific food systems, while examining how communities have adapted to the global shocks associated with the pandemic to ensure food security. We conducted 609 interviews across 199 coastal villages from May to October 2020 in Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu to understand community-level impacts and adaptations during the first 5-10 months of the COVID-19 crisis. We found that local food production practices and food sharing conferred resilience, and that imported foods could aid or inhibit resilience. Communities in countries more reliant on imports were almost twice as likely to report food insecurity compared to those least reliant. However, in places dealing with a concurrent cyclone, local food systems were impaired, and imported foods proved critical. Our findings suggest that policy in the Pacific should bolster sustainable local food production and practices. Pacific states should avoid becoming overly reliant on food imports, while having measures in place to support food security after disasters, supplementing locally produced and preserved foods with imported foods when necessary. Developing policies that promote resilient food systems can help prepare communities for future shocks, including those anticipated with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Teri Tuxson
- Locally Managed Marine Area Network International, Suva, Fiji
| | | | - Stacy Jupiter
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | - Hugh Govan
- Locally Managed Marine Area Network International, Suva, Fiji
- University of the South Pacific, School of Government, Development & International Affairs, Suva, Fiji
| | | | | | - Maxine Anjiga
- Papua New Guinea Centre for Locally Managed Areas Inc., Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| | - Jonathan Booth
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | - Tracey Boslogo
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | | | | | | | - Ana Ciriyawa
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | | | - Margaret Fox
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
- Pacific Community, Suva, Fiji
| | - Andy George
- Kosrae Conservation and Safety Organisation, Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia
| | - Hampus Eriksson
- WorldFish, Honiara, Solomon Islands
- Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources & Security, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Alec Hughes
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | - Eugene Joseph
- Locally Managed Marine Area Network of Pohnpei, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
| | - Sean Kadannged
- Tamil Resource Conservation Trust, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia
| | | | | | | | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, United States
| | - Elizah Nagombi
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | - Rebecca Omaro
- Papua New Guinea Centre for Locally Managed Areas Inc., Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| | | | - Annisah Sapul
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | | | - Karen Stone
- Tamil Resource Conservation Trust, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia
| | | | | | - Caroline Vieux
- Locally Managed Marine Area Network International, Suva, Fiji
| | | | - McKenzie Waide
- Papua New Guinea Centre for Locally Managed Areas Inc., Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
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Ferguson CE, Tuxson T, Mangubhai S, Jupiter S, Govan H, Bonito V, Alefaio S, Anjiga M, Booth J, Boslogo T, Boso D, Brenier A, Caginitoba A, Ciriyawa A, Fahai'ono JB, Fox M, George A, Eriksson H, Hughes A, Joseph E, Kadannged S, Kubunavanua E, Loni S, Meo S, Micheli F, Nagombi E, Omaro R, Ride A, Sapul A, Singeo A, Stone K, Tabunakawai-Vakalalabure M, Tuivuna M, Vieux C, Vitukawalu VB, Waide M. Local practices and production confer resilience to rural Pacific food systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mar Policy 2022; 137:104954. [PMID: 35035031 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2022.104954get] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Resilience of food systems is key to ensuring food security through crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented shock that reveals varying levels of resilience of increasingly interconnected food systems across the globe. We contribute to the ongoing debate about whether increased connectivity reduces or enhances resilience in the context of rural Pacific food systems, while examining how communities have adapted to the global shocks associated with the pandemic to ensure food security. We conducted 609 interviews across 199 coastal villages from May to October 2020 in Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu to understand community-level impacts and adaptations during the first 5-10 months of the COVID-19 crisis. We found that local food production practices and food sharing conferred resilience, and that imported foods could aid or inhibit resilience. Communities in countries more reliant on imports were almost twice as likely to report food insecurity compared to those least reliant. However, in places dealing with a concurrent cyclone, local food systems were impaired, and imported foods proved critical. Our findings suggest that policy in the Pacific should bolster sustainable local food production and practices. Pacific states should avoid becoming overly reliant on food imports, while having measures in place to support food security after disasters, supplementing locally produced and preserved foods with imported foods when necessary. Developing policies that promote resilient food systems can help prepare communities for future shocks, including those anticipated with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Teri Tuxson
- Locally Managed Marine Area Network International, Suva, Fiji
| | | | - Stacy Jupiter
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | - Hugh Govan
- Locally Managed Marine Area Network International, Suva, Fiji
- University of the South Pacific, School of Government, Development & International Affairs, Suva, Fiji
| | | | | | - Maxine Anjiga
- Papua New Guinea Centre for Locally Managed Areas Inc., Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| | - Jonathan Booth
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | - Tracey Boslogo
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | | | | | | | - Ana Ciriyawa
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | | | - Margaret Fox
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
- Pacific Community, Suva, Fiji
| | - Andy George
- Kosrae Conservation and Safety Organisation, Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia
| | - Hampus Eriksson
- WorldFish, Honiara, Solomon Islands
- Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources & Security, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Alec Hughes
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | - Eugene Joseph
- Locally Managed Marine Area Network of Pohnpei, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
| | - Sean Kadannged
- Tamil Resource Conservation Trust, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia
| | | | | | | | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, United States
| | - Elizah Nagombi
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | - Rebecca Omaro
- Papua New Guinea Centre for Locally Managed Areas Inc., Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| | | | - Annisah Sapul
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | | | - Karen Stone
- Tamil Resource Conservation Trust, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia
| | | | | | - Caroline Vieux
- Locally Managed Marine Area Network International, Suva, Fiji
| | | | - McKenzie Waide
- Papua New Guinea Centre for Locally Managed Areas Inc., Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
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