Strengthening Capacity in Home Gardening, Healthy Food Awareness and Effective Biosecurity for Tokelau - TCP/TOK/3601

Abstract

As a net food importer and remote atoll island nation with limited land and soils of low fertility, Tokelau has faced increasingly complex challenges in ensuring a reliable, sufficient and diversified local production of essential food crops for its population of under 1 500 people Tokelau’s need for enhanced technical capacities for food crop production, climate change adaptation and integrated pest management comes on the heels of its government’s call for collaborative efforts between national authorities, local communities and technical and resource partners to help revitalize domestic food production These efforts are part of a broader commitment to safeguarding fragile ecosystems and building preventive capacities to new pests and diseases that affect small island developing states ( Consumer demand for imported, processed goods has also increased in recent years, with latest estimates suggesting that up to 90 percent of all food consumed in Tokelau is imported In addition to this missed opportunity for communities to rely on local production for their dietary needs, the Tokelau Department of Health has warned against a rising dependency on imported, processed foods and its contribution to increases in non communicable diseases (NCDs).