SUVA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The Pacific region is stepping up efforts to secure its food future as agricultural leaders meet in Nadi, Fiji's third-largest city, to emphasize the vital need for collaboration in conserving and actively using plant genetic resources.
This regional gathering came at a time when the impacts of climate change, natural disasters, and emerging plant diseases continue to threaten food security across Pacific Island nations, the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) reported on Wednesday.
With increasingly erratic weather patterns -- from prolonged droughts to destructive cyclones -- small island developing states face growing challenges in maintaining reliable food systems.
In many cases, local crops are struggling to survive in harsher conditions, driving urgent discussions about plant resilience, seed diversity, and cross-border cooperation.
A key player in these discussions is Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture, which is aligning its goals with the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) global initiative to conserve agricultural biodiversity and improve food systems.
The FAO's Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture encourages nations to protect and make better use of the genetic material found in crops, particularly traditional and underutilized varieties, as a foundation for sustainable agriculture.
The FBC said that the regional push isn't just about preserving these traditional crop varieties for future generations, it is also about putting them to use now, in practical ways that improve yields, reduce losses, and ultimately benefit Pacific farmers and communities.
Principal Research Officer Savenaca Cuquma highlighted the vital role of the Pacific Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources Network (PAPGREN), which has become a lifeline for small island states.
Established in the early 2000s, PAPGREN is a regional collaboration supported by international partners, linking Pacific countries with global research centers, genebanks, and seed-sharing networks.
Cuquma explained that the network enables Pacific nations to access crop varieties that are more resilient to changing climates and emerging diseases -- options that might otherwise take years to source through individual national programs.
The Nadi meeting serves as a reaffirmation of regional commitment to building agricultural resilience in the face of global uncertainty, the FBC said. ■
