Madam Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of FAO,
Mr. Jong-Jin Kim, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative of the
FAO Office for Asia and the Pacific,
Your Excellencies – Ministerial colleagues,
Distinguished FAO colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be invited to say a few words on behalf of
my Government and Country, on the launch of the Green Development of
Special Agricultural Products, One Country One Priority Product for our Asia and
the Pacific region.

Food remains an integral part of the Samoan culture with ties to our land and
ocean. However, increased dependence on imported processed foods fueled by
changing dietary habits, vulnerability to climate change, rising burden of Non-
Communicable Diseases, and inherent limitations of a small island economy,
pose challenges in ensuring our food security and nutrition which can cater for
our growing population and future generations.

We are also living in unprecedented times due to the COVID-19 pandemic which
has created a “new normal” in our lives, and has resulted in multiple challenges

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such as health, economic, social and political, all overpowering us at the same
time. The COVID-19 mitigation has amplified many of these challenges resulting
in further reduction in our food and income securities, due to financial pressures
and regular disruptions in the food supply chains. Samoa is now facing the
health related challenges of the community spread of the virus, in addition to the
social and economic impacts that are being felt across our small island country.

Samoa has recently launched its five-year national development plan called the
“Pathway for the Development of Samoa 2022-2026”, and one of our plan’s key
priority strategies is the realization of a vibrant and sustainable agriculture,
fisheries and aquaculture sector, which will create employment, improve our food
and nutrition security, and reduce our reliance on food imports.

Also, with the support from the FAO and other UN Agencies, Samoa has
completed its National Food Systems Pathway 2030 which paves the way, to
transform our food systems for a resilient and healthy Samoa, and also help us
achieve the relevant goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Given the severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our other key economic
sector, our tourism industry, we are looking at increasing our agriculture and
fisheries exports for new foreign exchange earnings, and food import
substitution, in addition to our drive to be food and nutrition secured.

This will include the promotion and upgrading of our current farming practices to
mechanized farming, to assist our less resourceful farmers with land preparation
activities that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Further, due to the expected severe long term impacts of climate change and
COVID-19, we have established a District Development Fund scheme, to

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develop our rural communities and increase our agricultural and fisheries
productions, to maintain our food and nutrition security and increase our import
substitution and export efforts. As part of our Government’s efforts to support
these economic developments, we are in the process of establishing our Import
and Export Authority to realize our vision of “increased exports, value addition,
and import substitution.”

Now, most of our agricultural production for our food and nutrition security, import
substitution, and export efforts for new foreign exchange earnings, include
horticultural crops, mainly fruits and vegetables, and cash crops, mainly taro and
other root crops, kava, products from our cocoa and coconut resources, such as
chocolate, cocoa paste and our popular Koko Samoa, organic virgin and copra
oils, and coconut cream, and products from our taro and breadfruit resources,
such as taro and breadfruit chips, and breadfruit flour.

These locally produced and processed agricultural products target mainly our
Samoan communities and other Pacific islanders living abroad, although some
are also popular with our European consumers. Further, some of these crops
and derived products have unique qualities and special characteristics
associated with Samoa, our farming practices and cultural heritage.

And so, I commend FAO for the Green Development of Special Agricultural
Products, or One Country One Priority Product initiative, which we will direct
some policy attention to, and share good practices on the nutritional and health
benefits of consumption of a few of them, their contribution to the promotion of
diversified, balanced and healthy diets and lifestyles, and reducing loss and
waste of locally grown foods.

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We are implementing numerous development projects in the agriculture space
with financial and technical support from our development partners, including
FAO, to support our farmers and fishers increase their production and
productivity through the application of various production technologies and digital
initiatives, and addressing the vulnerabilities of agriculture, food security and
nutrition, due to climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

All these projects, aim to support our farmers, fishers and other key players of
our food value chains, transform our food systems, to support food production
and healthier diets, and increase our import substitution and export efforts.

We look forward to develop a new project, under the first phase of this initiative,
in collaboration with FAO and Kastom Gaden Association, focusing on one or
two priority products that we will promote as “Samoa Made” products.

We also look forward to the second phase involving the green development of
livestock, aquaculture, and fishery special agricultural products, as we have a
few products unique to Samoa and significant to our livelihoods, and cultural
heritage.

In closing, I would like to acknowledge FAO for this great One Country One
Priority Product initiative, and also the FAO Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific,
for your ongoing financial and technical support for our Pacific island countries.

I wish you Madam Deputy Director-General, and Assistant Director-General of
FAO, your Excellencies my Ministerial Colleagues, FAO staff and all participants,
God’s blessings. May His peace which passes all understanding, keep your
hearts and minds, in His knowledge and love, and of His Son Jesus Christ our
Lord.

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Thank you for your attention!