Planning for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Solutions Forum, scheduled for 30 –
31 August 2021, is underway.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has invited world leaders
from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific, African, Indian Ocean and
Caribbean, as well high-level participants from donor and SIDS friendly countries and heads
of global organizations; many of whom will headline the forum.
Hundreds of public policy makers and practitioners, community leaders, farmers,
entrepreneurs, private sector stakeholders are also invited to register.
The challenges posed by COVID-19 are no secret, but they also present an opportunity for
innovation and creativity in efforts to defeat hunger and malnutrition for all. This is where
the SIDS Solutions Forum can play a leading role.
The special case for a SIDS Solutions Forum
While COVID-19 has impacted lives and livelihoods the world over, SIDS countries have been
especially hit hard. Many economies that relied heavily on tourism were forced to close their
borders, losing badly needed revenue.
The SIDS Solutions Forum creates a space for government leaders, development partners,
farmers, fishers, community development practitioners and leaders, entrepreneurs, women
and youth to discuss, share, promote and encourage home-grown and imported solutions to
respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19 and several of those that pre-existing the
pandemic. The ultimate goal is to accelerate the achievement of the agriculture; food and
nutrition related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in SIDS.
“Innovation and digitalization have, together, become an important driving force for rural
and agri-food systems transformation. They’ve created new opportunities for farmers and
rural people,” said Xiangjun Yao, FAO Coordinator of the Subregional Office, based in Samoa.
“But our global food systems continue to face considerable challenges in being able to
produce sufficient, safe, nutritious and healthy food in a sustainable manner to feed an ever-
growing population. Small Island Developing States, or SIDS, in particular, share these
challenges.
“The good news is that digital technologies offer unique opportunities for improving food
production and trade, especially to smallholder farmers, and can help to achieve food and
nutrition security and poverty alleviation globally as well as for SIDS. That’s why this Forum
is so important – it will provide an opportunity to learn from each other and regain
momentum to reach the SGD targets by 2030,” Yao added.

The Forum is being convened virtually by FAO in partnership with the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU). The Government of Fiji is the co-host.
Key speakers will be announced by early next week.
ABOUT THE FORUM
Why are innovations and digitalization so important to SIDS’ solutions?
SIDS, in particular, share challenges such as frequent natural disasters, limited arable land,
dependence on small-scale agriculture, and high-priced imports.
The mobility of digital technologies are transforming agri-food systems, and while this is an
important development for food systems everywhere, this mobility is of great importance to
remote areas, such as SIDS.
The spread of mobile technologies, remote-sensing services and distributed computing are
already improving smallholders’ access to information, inputs and markets, increasing
production and productivity, streamlining supply chains and reducing operational costs.
In the real world, robotics together with artificial intelligence are examples of how digital
innovation supports the farmer in the management of herds and crops while real-time
information helps with water and soil needs. Digital innovation holds the potential to unlock
employment opportunities, bridge the rural divide and empower youth and women to
access information, technology and markets.
Sharing these rapidly evolving digital innovations will accelerate progress toward achieving
the SDGs in SIDS. It is within this context that the SIDS Solutions Forum will launch a
knowledge exchange platform to incubate, promote, scale up and replicate locally grown
ideas to accelerate the achievement of agriculture, food, nutrition, environment and health.