JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Coronavirus infections have barely affected many of the remote Pacific islands, but the impact of the pandemic has been massive, disrupting the supply chain that brings crucial food imports and driving prices up as tourism declines .
With a food crisis looming, many governments have embarked on community initiatives to help alleviate shortages: extend fishing seasons, expand lessons for indigenous food gathering, and strengthen seed distribution programs that provide residents with greater self-reliance.
“We initially started with 5,000 seeds and thought we would finish them within nine months. But the response was very strong and we finished distributing the seeds within a week, ”said Vinesh Kumar, head of operation at Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture.
The project provides residents with vegetable seeds, saplings and basic farming supplies to help them create their own home garden.
Elisabeta Waqa, a resident of Fiji, said she had considered planting a garden before the pandemic, but – with no work, extra time at home, and seeds from ministry and friends – finally took action.
In search of “zero financial investment,” Waqa collected buckets, crates and other potential planters that were thrown away at the side of the road and in the trash. Soon, her garden turned into containers of green beans, cucumber, cabbage, and other produce.
“When I started harvesting about two or three weeks later, I realized, my god, this is a hobby that people have had for so long. I was thinking about how much money I could save by doing this, ”said Waqa.
Geographically isolated with limited arable land and increased urbanization, many of the Pacific islands and areas have seen their populations shift from traditional agricultural work to tourism. The trend has led to a greater reliance on imported foods such as corned beef, noodles and other highly processed foods instead of the traditional diet of locally grown produce 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 shift a “triple burden” of health problems: malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity.
When the pandemic hit, almost all countries in the region closed their borders. Shipping supply chains – including fertilizer for farms and food – were disrupted, driving prices up. In Suva, Fiji, the cost of some fresh fruits and vegetables increased by as much as 75% in the first few weeks.
At the same time, tourism – which Hibi said accounts for 70% of some countries’ gross domestic product – came to a halt, leaving thousands of unemployed people with reduced access to food.
“It’s not just about the availability of prices in the market, but also about the purchasing power of consumers, which has declined,” said Hibi.
In Tuvalu, the government held workshops to teach young people’s indigenous food production methods, such as planting taro and collecting sap from coconut trees. In Fiji, the government extended the fishing season for coral trout and grouper that could be sold as income or used as food. Numerous governments encouraged residents to return to rural areas with stronger independent food sources.
Tevita Ratucadre and his wife moved back to a rural village in Fiji to save on rent and food costs 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. “You can grow your own things in the village.”
After watching his parents farm when he was a child, Ratucadre said he remembered how to plant and grow cassava from a neighbor. He now grows enough food for his family, he said.
“When I was working, I bought what I wanted to eat when I went to the supermarket,” he said. “Now I have to plant and eat what I have planted.”
Mervyn Piesse, a research manager at Australia-based Future Directions International research institute, said it was too early to know what the potential health benefits could be, but that regional diets may be shifting from imports to more fresh foods, even after the pandemic.
“There is, I think, a movement in parts of the Pacific where people are really starting to think, ‘If we can grow our own food during a global pandemic, why can’t we do the same at normal times?’” Piesse said.
Waqa said she’s already made up her mind – although she’s back to work, she’s taught her older kids how to care for the garden and harvest produce while she’s gone.
“Now I save money on food, know where my food comes from, and just feel safer about food,” she said. “I don’t want to go back to the old situation.”
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The Associated Press Department of Health and Science is supported by the Science Education Department of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The AP is solely responsible for all content.