Strengthening the sustainability and resilience of Solomon Island food systems under a changing climate and post-conflict conditions

Accessing an affordable and healthy diet is a challenge for many Solomon Islanders, particularly those living in outer islands. The country has a high level of food insecurity and a growing dependence on imported processed food, which is having negative consequences on health.

Population growth, logging, mining and exploitation of fisheries has led to a depletion of both land and ocean resources, impacting the availability of food. This is compounded by vulnerability to shocks and stresses, including from climate change and civil unrest.

Through PAF, CSIRO is building collaborations with Solomon Islands to strengthen its food systems through:

Locally sourced nutritious feed for small livestock and aquaculture

Researchers from Solomon Islands National University (SINU) and CSIRO are partnering to assess the availability and nutritional quality of existing feed resources and opportunities for new resources to improve small livestock and aquaculture production and reduce reliance on costly imported feeds.

Poultry, pigs, and farmed fish are increasingly important protein sources in the Solomon Islands due to less available fish in lagoons and reefs fish stocks, but growth is constrained by high feed costs, lack of infrastructure, limited availability of fish meal in outer islands and loss of livestock and displacement caused by past civil unrest.

As part of the SINU-CSIRO collaboration, stakeholders from across the food system (government, industry, research, NGO and others) are coming together to share knowledge about constraints and opportunities in the food system and to coordinate projects and activities that address these.

Food systems and nutrition: Exploring pathways to enhanced nutrition security for humans and animals in the Pacific

This multi-stakeholder collaboration between SPC, CSIRO, Solomon Island National University, University of Wollongong and the Government of Solomon Islands is building the capacity of decision makers to navigate potential disruptions from significant climate risks impacting access to nutritious food, including locally grown crops and coastal seafood, and affecting food transport infrastructure that supports local and imported food.

Researchers will draw on climate projections to understand key risks to food systems and develop strategies for resilient and nutritious food systems across crops and soils, nutrition and health, coastal fisheries and transport networks.