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Food supply

Pacific Community's 2025 Biennial Meeting for Pacific Agriculture Seeks to Strengthen Regional Collaboration

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Representatives from 15 Pacific Island countries, regional technical experts, development partners, and donor agencies are gathering in Nadi, Fiji, for the 2025 Biennial Meeting of the Pacific Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources Network (PAPGREN). Hosted by the Pacific Community's Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT), the meeting aims to "nurture Pacific seeds, sustaining Pacific futures." Pitakia Tikai, a member of the Pacific Farmer Organisation, highlighted the importance of sharing and safeguarding food crops, emphasizing the need for closer collaboration with SPC's CePaCT to access climate-resilient and nutritionally valuable crop lines.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 2025 PAPGREN meeting brings together representatives from 15 Pacific Island countries, regional technical experts, development partners, and donor agencies to strengthen regional collaboration on plant genetic resources.
  • The meeting is led by the theme "Nurturing Pacific seeds, sustaining Pacific futures" and is supported by the Australian and New Zealand governments.
  • Pacific Farmer Organisation member Pitakia Tikai highlighted the importance of sharing and safeguarding food crops, emphasizing the need for closer collaboration with SPC's CePaCT.
  • The PAPGREN 2025-2027 Action Plan will prioritize conserving crop diversity, improving access to clean planting material, strengthening legal and policy frameworks, and building institutional and community capacity.
  • Karen Mapusua, Director of the Pacific Community's Land Resources Division, issued a three-part call to action for the region: strengthen coordination, align national and regional action, and mobilize support and investment.
  • The meeting aims to connect national crop and seed programmes with regional backup collections, disease indexing services, and climate-ready germplasm.

Statistics:

  • 7,000 farmers are connected through the Pacfic Islands' local Planting Materials Network (PMN), a nationwide community network.
  • The meeting is supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the New Zealand Government through their Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  • 15 Pacific Island countries are represented at the 2025 PAPGREN meeting.

Sources:

  • Pacific Community press release
  • Pacific Farmer Organisation (PIFON)
  • Pacific Community's Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT)
  • Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • New Zealand Government Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

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