Ministers and heads of delegation from Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) adopted the Port Vila Declaration on Scaling Pacific Solutions for Resilient Agrifood Systems in Port Vila on 6 November.
They also launched an Agrifood Investment Platform and called for increased investment to transform agrifood systems across the Pacific, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Vanuatu said in a joint statement.
The declaration was adopted at the close of the 2026 Pacific SIDS Solutions Forum, co-hosted by Vanuatu and FAO under the theme "Solutions for a Resilient Blue Pacific: Scaling Innovation and Financing Agrifood Systems Transformation". The forum brought together governments, regional organisations, development partners, international financial institutions, civil society, youth representatives and the private sector.
Over four days, ministers and technical experts reviewed practical measures to strengthen food security, nutrition, livelihoods and climate resilience across Pacific SIDS.
Discussions covered investment in climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries, access to healthy diets, natural resource management, economic opportunities in rural communities, and access to finance, infrastructure, technology and markets, according to the joint statement.
Timothy Tumukon, Director General of the Vanuatu Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Biosecurity, said the declaration reflected a shared Pacific vision for resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, and that Pacific countries had shown solutions already exist. The priority now was to strengthen partnerships and mobilise the investment needed to scale those solutions, he said.
The declaration recognises the challenges facing Pacific SIDS, including climate change, geographic isolation, high transport and energy costs, growing dependence on imported food and rising rates of diet-related noncommunicable diseases. It also says Pacific countries are developing home-grown solutions that combine traditional knowledge with science and technology.
Under the declaration, ministers committed to strengthening regional cooperation, promoting South-South and Triangular Cooperation, developing bankable investment opportunities, expanding digital and climate services, strengthening seed systems and food reserves, and improving access to climate and development finance. It also calls on development partners and international financial institutions to increase concessional financing and simplify access to climate funds for SIDS.
The Agrifood Investment Platform, led by ministers responsible for agriculture, forestry and fisheries, will bring together regional organisations, development partners and private investors to agree shared investment priorities, share information and coordinate follow-up.
FAO said the platform is the main mechanism for carrying out the Pacific SIDS Investment Programme, which aims to mobilise US$4.6 billion in investment by 2040, including a US$1.05 billion Hand-in-Hand Initiative regional investment pipeline for 2025 to 2030.
QU Guangzhou, FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands, said Pacific countries had identified practical and scalable solutions and that what was needed now was greater investment, with FAO ready to work with governments, partners, financial institutions and the private sector.
Ministers agreed to take the declaration to regional and global platforms, including FAO governing bodies and international climate, biodiversity, ocean and SIDS processes.