Food Security in Port Vila, VanuatuDr Sarah James

Urban food

insecurity

SOCIAL CHANGE

-Urban growth

-High rates of poverty

-Lack of resources (land)

-Cash economy/Westernisation

ENVIRONMENTAL

CHANGE

-Climate change

-Environmental events

-Natural disasters

DRRPopulation

health

Food insecurity –insufficient access and acceptability

of fresh foods

Reliance on imports

Disaster

No work

Higher local food prices

Increased reliance on

imports

Impacts on health

Risks in terms of rising global food

prices

Urban food security and DRR

Research Aim: Investigate Food Security in Port Vila = Access to fresh, local foods

Research MethodsAs Urban Mobilization research Household survey (390)7 focus groups

Key Findings: 1. Diet and Access

1a)What are people eating?

0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 1.20

Rice

Biscuits

Green vegetables

Root crops

Fruit

Tinned tuna

Noodles

Sweets

Beans or nuts

Tinned meat

Fresh fish

Eggs

Fresh meat

Chicken

Soft drink

Take Away

Every Day

Once a week

2-3 times a week

2-3 times a month

Breadandtea46%

Biscuitandtea23%

Katoandtea11%

other9%

tea3%

banana3%

rice/riceand ntuna2%

weetbix1%

fish

1% nothing

1%

WhatDidYouEatforBreakfast?

Breadandtea

Biscuitandtea

Katoandtea

other

tea

banana

rice/riceand ntunaweetbix

fis

h

nothing

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

Urban Peri-urban Total

Yes

No

1b)Where are they getting food? Access to a garden

1c) Top sources of food

Top sources of food - with a garden

Top sources of food -without a garden

Most regularly accessed: ‘Everyday’

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

Key Findings 2:Drivers of food choice and levers for change

2.a Drivers of Food Choice

Influence of drivers on consumption:

‘Cheap’ vs ‘Healthy’

2.b What would help you eat more Aelan Kakae?

Influence of access to garden on consumption

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

No

Garden

Garden

1. Policy and action on urban food security

2. Increase access to local fresh foods to improve urban resilience in the face of natural disasters and climate change

3. Conduct a nutrition-oriented value chain analysis of locally produced food

4. Programming to support local fresh food supply to urban consumers

5. Regulatory measures to reduce price: review potentials of tariffs, taxes and price controls

Recommendations

6. Engage urban youth in production and sale of locally produced and processed food

7. Supporting the development of urban/peri-urban agriculture

8. Information and education: promoting consumption of local food and alternative means of production and preparation

9. Further food research: Food poverty and household food access

Recommendations

Thank you!