PACIFIC:

The Pacific region is known for its diverse cultures and cuisines. The Pacific
Community website states that the future of food and food systems in the Pacific
will play a key role in supporting the region, the planet’s recovery and revival from
COVID-19, and the long-term health, resilience and prosperity of the Pacific people.
The ocean is at the center of the Pacific food system, but communities are now on
the frontlines of climate change impacts which are compounding existing
challenges including a high dependence on food imports and a crisis of non-
communicable diseases. Pacific countries have been addressing these challenges
through a series of national and regional dialogues in the lead up to the
Summit. The game-changing solutions proposed provide a blueprint and critical
forward progress to ensure all in the region are well-fed and can reap equitable
benefits from the global food system1.
According to Encyclopedia.com, food plays a central role in Pacific Islander culture;
it represents prosperity, generosity, and community support. Hospitality is
extended to visitors, who are usually asked to share a meal. Even if a visitor is not
hungry, he or she will generally eat a small amount of food so that the host is not
disappointed2.
Roger Haden’s book “Food Culture in the Pacific Islands” states that today, food
culture in the Pacific is largely one of extremes. Although traditional foods and
cookery survive and are highly valued, Westernization has meant that the overall
diet of islanders has been negatively transformed and that islands are net
importers of unhealthy foods3.
LUCIANA SANTOS JIMENEZ