2 December 2008: The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has released a report entitled Climate Change and Food Security in Pacific Island Countries, jointly published with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the University of the South Pacific. The report warns that climate change-related disasters such as cyclones, flash floods and droughts have constrained development efforts in the Pacific islands and are likely to have a serious impact on their food production.

The report recommends urgent measures to adapt to expected losses, including by: adopting a more systematic approach, with national plans involving governments, the private sector and civil society; mainstreaming climate change adaptation into national policies, strategies, programmes and budgets related to agriculture, forestry and fisheries reviewing development policies in these fields in light of new information on climate change; and providing farmers with the best available information and guidelines on the choice of crop varieties, soil and water management options under changed environmental conditions to avert the risk of crop failures. [ UN Press Release] [FAO Press Release] [The Report]