FOOD SECURITY IN SAMOA
1
Seve Sinei Fili
Ministry of Health
TALK OUTLINE

Food security in Samoa
Do we have sufficient food?
 Do we have nutritious food?
 Do we have access to nutritious food?

Consequences of food insecurity in Samoa
 Efforts to improve food security in Samoa

2
CHANGES IN FOOD SUPPLY: 1963-2003
 Significant
changes in the
supply pattern
 Imported cereals (mainly
wheat, also rice) replaced
locally produced root crops
as most important source of
energy
 Locally produced meat
replaced with imported meat
Taro has more nutrients than White Rice
35
29
30
%*
25
Taro
20
White Rice
15
10
10
9
7
5
7
2
0
0
1
2
0
Fibre
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Iron
Nutrients
*
% of daily needs of an adult woman filled by one cup of the food
4
Taro is more nutritious than
Instant Noodles
90
80
80
%*
70
60
Taro
50
Noodles
40
29
30
20
10
8
4
9
0
2
7 5
27
21
14
3
0
0
Fibre
Vitamin C Calcium
Iron
Energy
Fat
Salt
Nutrients
* % daily needs of an adult woman filled by one cup taro or one bowl instant noodles
5
DO WE HAVE ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS
FOODS
6
STORES FILLED WITH PROCESSED FOODS
7
LITTLE ACCESS TO “HEALTHY” FOODS IN
SCHOOL CANTEENS
8
ACCESS TO IMPORTED FRUIT
& VEGETABLES
RESTRICTED BY HIGH TARIFF RATES

20% tariff


Most fruit & vegetables
0% tariff
Instant noodles
 Mutton flaps
 Sugar
 Salt

9
FOOD ADVERTISING INFLUENCES FOOD
CHOICES (REDUCES SELECTION OF HEALTHY
FOODS)
71% of total food advertising
aimed at children
 Majority of food advertising to
children “unhealthy” foods

“Television food marketing to children,” Meredith
Muzak, 2008.
10
FOOD INSECURITY
 Insufficient
access to nutritious food in
Samoa
11
CONSEQUENCES OF FOOD
INSECURITY
12
CHANGING DIET

Changing consumption between 1991 – 2003:


Increased: rice, pancakes, cakes, chips
Rapidly decreased: fish and papaya

Low fruit & vegetable consumption

Dietary habits of children a concern

2003 children compared with older adults
more processed foods
 fewer fresh fruit & vegetables


2006 school children's most common weekday foods

bread, doughnuts, cabin biscuits, ice pops, instant noodles
13
EFFORTS TO IMPROVE FOOD
SECURITY AND SAFETY
14
EFFORTS TO PROMOTE LOCAL FRESH
FOODS



Implement food & nutrition
policy (Food & Nutrition Policy
2013)
Implement and monitor healthy
diet guidelines
 Healthy Eating and Lifestyle
Guidelines for Samoa 2008
Promote fresh local foods e.g.
fruit and vegetables, starchy
root crops


Improve food in schools and preschools

15
TV and Radio Spots & Ads
Samoa School Nutrition
Standards 2012 (SPAGHL
spport)
EFFORTS TO IMPROVE NUTRITIONAL
CONTENT OF PROCESSED FOODS



Update the food law to
allow a focus on healthy
food
Establish food standards to
improve nutrition e.g.
control fat, salt and sugar
content of food & fortify
food
Work with business
community to increase
importation and sale of
fortified foods
16
OTHER EFFORTS TO IMPROVE FOOD
SECURITY AND SAFETY
Develop standards for
food labeling
 Incorporate food and
nutrition in primary
school curriculum
 Develop BHSC at the
NUS (including
nutrition)
 Conduct research on
nutrition e.g. DHS,
Brown University

Unlabeled flour for sale
– is it fortified?
17
FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
Excise tax - increase on soft drinks
and apply to other “unhealthy”
foods
 Develop Code of marketing for
children's food advertising
 Review price control measures and
place emphasis on “healthy foods”
 Remove import taxes for fruit &
vegetables

18
CONCLUSION

Samoan diet has modernized 

Health consequences



Increasing reliance on processed foods, especially children
Increasing rates of lifestyle diseases
Micronutrient deficiencies
Need to overcome these health consequences
Strengthen what we are doing - educating consumers and promoting
physical activity
 Strengthen sustainable production and use of fresh local foods.
 Need to use innovative approaches related to food standards and their
effective enforcement



Multi-sectoral task - Ministries need to work closely together to
improve nutrition, food production and food quality
Samoa needs to work in a harmonised manner with other Pacific
countries
19
Faafetai lava!
20