FOOD SECURITY IN PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES

Authors

Sue Farran, Northumbria UniversityFollow

Abstract

This paper considers the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges confronting the use of intellectual property regimes in the context of food security. While there has been some shift in agricultural practices, subsistence cultivation remains an important aspect of the daily lives of many Pacific Islanders and reflects traditions that for centuries have preserved biodiversity and provided a buffer against crops failures and food loss caused by natural disasters. Climate change, population growth, the cost of imported foods, and loss of traditional knowledge mean that many of these aspects of food security are under pressure. Intellectual property regimes which result in disease-resistant crops, higher yielding cultivars, and climate adapted livestock may provide a solution, but are often out of reach for Pacific Islanders. At the same time, traditional agricultural practices, cultivation knowledge, and a biodiversity of resources may be vulnerable to unprotected exploitation either by other Pacific Islanders or by outsiders.

Recommended Citation

Farran, Sue (2013) "FOOD SECURITY IN PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 36: No. 1, Article 10.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol36/iss1/10