Conserving, restoring and sustainably using biodiversity for food security and nutrition in the Pacific Islands

The Pacific Islands are primary centers of biodiversity. The Pacific region, where land makes up less than 2 percent of the total area, includes some of the richest and most diverse terrestrial and marine ecosystems on the planet. Closely interlinked, biodiversity and ecosystem services support the agricultural sector in multiple ways, benefiting producers’ livelihoods and well-being. However, the increasing pace of transition from traditional to more intensive agricultural production systems is threatening this rich biodiversity heritage in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), including the indigenous and local knowledge on which its survival depends. The majority of the PICTs have taken important steps to reverse these negative trends and embed the conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity into national strategies, but the capacity and coordination mechanisms to implement these measures are widely lacking. There is a clear need for a more systemic and coordinated approach among key sectors and stakeholders for the sustainable management of biodiversity for food and agriculture in the Pacific region. FAO has been working together with Members and regional partners in the Pacific region to build capacity and collaboration to strengthen the sustainable management of biodiversity for food and agriculture from policies to the field level. This document presents an overview of the efforts made and existing opportunities to promote a regenerative, ecosystem-based agriculture.