Critical Success Factors for Strengthening the Agricultural-Nutrition-Income Nexus
DATE: 7 May 2018, 13:30 – 17:30
8 May 2018, 08:30 – 17:30
VENUE: Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva, Fiji
The high dependence on imported foods and declining consumption of local nutrient dense foods (crops and fish) are contributing to the double burden of malnutrition; pockets of hunger still exist. National sectoral policies and programmes are disconnected and successful community-based programmes are under-resourced. To effectively address the challenging food and nutrition situation, what are the trade-offs for increasing access to affordable nutrient dense foods and at the same time assure greater profits for farmers and other value chain actors? How can communities be better integrated in solving the food and nutrition challenges? Can the Pacific region capitalise on the nutritive value and bioactive principles in their rich biodiversity? What are the priority commodities for attracting public and private investments and what incentives are needed and at which leverage points in the value chains? Would a regional perspective prove essential?
Aim of the Workshop
Reflect on successful community initiatives, opportunities to leverage the health potential and nutritional value of Pacific foods, and priority nutrition sensitive value chains, identified by Pacific farmers and build synergy for joint action to address the agriculture-nutrition-income challenge through public-private-producer partnerships. Agriculture and nutrition experts, community leaders, farmers and other agri-entrepreneurs, will identify key innovations and critical success factors that address policy and other institutional constraints and develop a regional roadmap/ action plan for developing/upgrading selected culturally sensitive priority local food and fisheries value chains which are socially inclusive and have the demonstrated potential for improving food, nutrition and incomes especially of rural communities.
The Workshop is led by Judith Ann Francis, Senior Programme Coordinator, Science &Technology Policy, CTA, The Netherlands
Catalyst Speaker
Lavinia Kaumaitotoya, Project Manager, Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network (PIFON), Fiji – Priority nutrition sensitive VCs for investment: the Perspective of Pacific Farmers
Lavinia is the Program Manager for the Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network (PIFON) that has members in 9 Pacific countries with approximately 79,000 members. As Program Manager, Lavinia works to operationalize the program areas that PIFON members endorsed in its Strategic Plan II. Prior to joining PIFON, Lavinia was the CEO for Fiji Crops & Livestock Council, from her various management roles as GM Commercial with Airports Fiji Limited and Fiji Ports Corporation Limited. Lavinia holds an MBA and a BCom from The University of the South Pacific and 10 years management experience with Air Pacific (now Fiji Airways) but is happiest as a grandmother and mother to her 3 children. A smallholder farmer and proud co-owner of FaRmily Gardens, a 16acre farm in Votualevu Nadi, her practical experiences of farming are what she uses to advocate for key issues. Recently Lavinia was a recipient of the ‘2017 Stars of Oceania Awards’ highlighting her pioneering work with Women in Agriculture for Pacific women.