1. Food Security in Samoa
Seve Sinei Fili
Ministry of Health

2. Talk outline Food security in Samoa
Do we have sufficient food?
Do we have nutritious food?
Do we have access to nutritious food?
Consequences of food insecurity in Samoa
Efforts to improve food security in Samoa

3. Changes in Food Supply: 1963-2003
Significant changes in the supply pattern
Imported cereals (mainly wheat, also rice) replaced locally produced root crops as most important source of energy
Locally produced meat replaced with imported meat

6. Do we have access to nutritious foods

7. Stores filled with processed foods

8. Little access to “healthy” foods in school canteens

9. access to imported fruit & vegetables restricted by high tariff rates
Most fruit & vegetables
0% tariff
Instant noodles
Mutton flaps
Sugar
Salt

10. Food advertising influences food choices (reduces selection of healthy foods)
71% of total food advertising aimed at children
Majority of food advertising to children “unhealthy” foods
“Television food marketing to children,” Meredith Muzak, 2008.

11. Food insecurity
Insufficient access to nutritious food in Samoa

12. Consequences of Food Insecurity

13. Changing Diet Changing consumption between 1991 – 2003:
Increased: rice, pancakes, cakes, chips
Rapidly decreased: fish and papaya
Low fruit & vegetable consumption
Dietary habits of children a concern
2003 children compared with older adults
more processed foods
fewer fresh fruit & vegetables
2006 school children's most common weekday foods
bread, doughnuts, cabin biscuits, ice pops, instant noodles

14. Efforts to improve food security and safety

15. Efforts To Promote Local Fresh Foods
Implement food & nutrition policy (Food & Nutrition Policy 2013)
Implement and monitor healthy diet guidelines
Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Guidelines for Samoa 2008
Promote fresh local foods e.g. fruit and vegetables, starchy root crops
TV and Radio Spots & Ads
Improve food in schools and pre- schools
Samoa School Nutrition Standards (SPAGHL spport)

16. Efforts to improve nutritional content of processed foods
Update the food law to allow a focus on healthy food
Establish food standards to improve nutrition e.g. control fat, salt and sugar content of food & fortify food
Work with business community to increase importation and sale of fortified foods

17. Other efforts to improve food security and safety
Develop standards for food labeling
Incorporate food and nutrition in primary school curriculum
Develop BHSC at the NUS (including nutrition)
Conduct research on nutrition e.g. DHS, Brown University
Unlabeled flour for sale
– is it fortified?

18. Future possibilities
Excise tax - increase on soft drinks and apply to other “unhealthy” foods
Develop Code of marketing for children's food advertising
Review price control measures and place emphasis on “healthy foods”
Remove import taxes for fruit & vegetables

19. Conclusion Samoan diet has modernized - Health consequences
Increasing reliance on processed foods, especially children
Health consequences
Increasing rates of lifestyle diseases
Micronutrient deficiencies
Need to overcome these health consequences
Strengthen what we are doing - educating consumers and promoting physical activity
Strengthen sustainable production and use of fresh local foods.
Need to use innovative approaches related to food standards and their effective enforcement
Multi-sectoral task - Ministries need to work closely together to improve nutrition, food production and food quality
Samoa needs to work in a harmonised manner with other Pacific countries

20. Faafetai lava!