Papua New Guinea needs to invest in down streaming, reduce food wastage and improve support in transportation and logistics in order to achieve its development goals and aspirations, including food security and adequate human nutrition, says Hon Aiye Tambua, Minister for Agriculture.
Hon Tambua said PNG is not a food deficit country but rather a nation of plenty opportunities and hope with huge potential through agriculture, food systems transformation, fisheries and forestry to grow our economy.
“Our pathway forward for the country will be to find synergies to work with in maximizing our desire to be self-sufficient in our food production, whilst at the same time investing in infrastructure development; entrepreneurship in agri-food systems; and non-food agriculture, fisheries, and forestry to increase our export earnings.”
The Minister made those remarks in address to the country on behalf of the Government of PNG during the 2022 World Food Day Commemoration on October 21 2022. The event was themed: “LEAVING NO-ONE BEHIND”, whilst endeavouring to create Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment and Better Life.
Hon Tambua said the theme “reminds us of the major challenges we have in Papua New Guinea to address our inadequacies in meeting our domestic needs in food production, value-adding, transportation and logistics, and ensuring that our population have access to safe, affordable and nutritious food at all times and in all places.”
He also acknowledged FAO for its long-standing and un-abating support towards PNG and the region as a whole; in ensuring that our peoples’ food and agriculture needs and challenges are addressed collectively, through national, regional and global programming.
“The GoPNG will continue to support FAO, to ensure that the country invests in agri-food systems and its transformation to meet our food and nutrition security goals, whilst at the same time meeting our global obligation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change of the Paris Climate Agreement in COP21 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals by year 2030.”
The minister also highlighted the need to embrace and tap into information communication technologies to close the information gap and have access to real-time information for informed decision-making on improved and sustainable agrifood systems, market information including prices, resilience and adaptation, and rural development.
