Food trade is crucial for daily life in the Pacific region, where many island nations rely on imported food and beverages. However, for years, there has been a lack of reliable data detailing the specifics of food trade within these countries. In response, the Pacific Food Trade Database has been established through a collaboration between the Pacific Community (SPC), the University of Wollongong, and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
This new database provides a clear and consistent overview of the food and beverage trade across the Pacific for the first time. Dr. Anna Farmery, the project leader from the University of Wollongong’s Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), emphasized the importance of understanding the interconnected food systems within the region, noting that imports play a significant role in influencing food security and nutrition.
Prior to this initiative, the trade data available was often incomplete and inconsistent, leaving decision-makers with an unclear picture of the food trade landscape in the Pacific. The primary goal of the database is to establish a consistent timeline of food and beverage imports and exports to aid in national and regional policy development.
The collaboration between ACIAR, SPC, and the University of Wollongong builds on years of integrated agri-food system analysis projects. Dr. Tom Brewer, a Senior Research Fellow at ANCORS, explained that SPC contributes extensive regional knowledge of trade data management, while the University offers innovative data-cleaning techniques.
In addition to creating the database, the partnership aims to enhance the capacity for using this trade data, with SPC’s Statistics for Development Division leading training initiatives across the region. The database has already proven beneficial, with officials in Papua New Guinea being trained to utilize it for developing food policy.
During a regional trade workshop in Fiji, representatives from fifteen Pacific island nations employed the database to craft country policy briefs targeting the importation of unhealthy foods. Peter Ellis, Director of SPC’s Statistics for Development Division, highlighted the critical importance of reliable trade data for these nations.
Available online via an interactive dashboard on the Pacific Data Hub, researchers are now leveraging this database to analyze trends, assess import dependence, and track increases in unhealthy food imports. Dr. Brewer noted that aside from significant exports and re-exports primarily from Fiji to other Pacific countries, intra-regional trade remains limited. Enhancing this trade could foster greater regional resilience against global shocks and climate challenges.
As engagement with the Pacific Food Trade Database continues to grow, it is set to become a fundamental tool for analyzing regional food systems, paving the way for smarter and healthier futures for communities in the Pacific.