Pacific food systems under threat
In the Pacific, where 90% of people live within 5km of the coast, climate change is threatening access to affordable, safe and nutritious food.
Sea levels in parts of the Pacific have risen 10–15 cm, nearly twice the global average, reducing the area of land available to grow and harvest food. In the Solomon Islands, at least five islands have been completely lost due to sea-level rise and coastal erosion.
Ocean heating and acidification is affecting coral reefs, disrupting fish migration and breeding patterns. In Kiribati, reef-based fisheries provide up to 70% of dietary protein.
The Pacific has had three times more weather-related natural disasters in the last decade compared to the 1960s. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes and supply chains disrupted with damage to roads, ports and storage facilities, leading to higher prices and shortages of food and fuel.
More severe and frequent weather events in the Pacific are contributing to soil degradation, lower yields and crop failures, and causing shortages of local food. As a result, communities are relying more on imported foods, which are often high in calories but low in nutrients, contributing to rising rates of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
In Tonga, 80% of all deaths are attributed to NCDs, the highest rate in the world.
The Pacific faces a triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and obesity.
Building resilient food systems in the Pacific that can provide sustainable and equitable access to sufficient nutritious food requires more than just technical fixes within individual sectors.
No one organisation can do this alone. Coalitions and collaborations are needed to embed supportive governance structures, inclusive policy frameworks, blended knowledge systems, and inclusive social systems.
A whole of food system approach is needed
What is a food system?
A food system encompasses all aspects of producing, processing, distributing, and consuming food. It also includes the governance and economics of the food system, its sustainability, food waste, and impacts on the economy, environment, society, and our health.
CSIRO's climate-resilient food systems portfolio focuses on cross-sectoral collaboration to strengthen resilience, enhance food and nutrition security, improve livelihoods, and protect ecosystems.
It builds on Australia's long history of working with Pacific partners to advance climate adaptation in agriculture and fisheries, such as with drought-tolerant crops, sustainable harvesting in fisheries and coastal resource management.
By integrating climate resilience approaches across land and sea, and in food value chains, CSIRO is catalysing investments in climate risk reduction across the entire food system, including markets, infrastructure, cultural practices and governance.
Together with our partners, we are blending Pacific values and knowledge relating to traditional foods, practices and food sharing systems with western science’s knowledge around intensification, productivity and climate
Resilient food futures
Our vision is for a Pacific where everyone has access to safe and nutritious food, and where food systems are sustainable, conserve the natural environment, are climate resilient and contribute to improved health and economic stability.
Our partners in the Pacific
- Australian Centre for International Agricultural Development
- Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Fédération des Entreprises et Industrie de Nouvelle-Calédonie (FEINC)
- French National Institute for Ocean Science and Technology (IFREMER)
- French Polynesia Department of Agriculture (DAG)
- Institut Agronomique Neo-Caledonien (IAC)
- Kiribati Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development (MELAD)
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research New Zealand
- Nauru Department of Environment, Management and Agriculture (DEMA)
- Samoan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF)
- Solomon Islands National University (SINU)
- Tuvalu Department of Agriculture
- The Pacific Community (SPC)
- Vanuatu Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Biosecurity (MALFB)
Resources
The Agri-food System Climate Explorer (ASCE): An decision support tool for climate resilient food system policy and planning in Samoa.
Scanning models of food systems resilience in the Indo-Pacific region
Navigating uncertainty on land and at sea: Customising climate information for Pacific food system solutions
Towards more resilient food systems in Pacific atolls
Blue Carbon Empowerment for Community Led Adaptation and mitigation
Emerging climate change impacts on food security and nutrition in Solomons: Strengthening evidence-based policy capacity to anticipate change and build resilience
Bringing science and policy together for future scenario planning
About CSIRO
CSIRO is Australia's national science agency, driving innovation across the entire food system. Our research and technology addresses critical challenges in biosecurity, health and nutrition, fisheries and marine science, soil science, energy, water and waste management, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
With a longstanding commitment to supporting farming communities and industries, we help build resilience to complex issues such as drought and climate change. CSIRO is uniquely positioned to convene and collaborate with stakeholders across the Pacific, co-creating inclusive, sustainable, and innovative solutions with our partners as they navigate shared challenges.