Pohnpei—Governor Stevenson A. Joseph and Lt. Governor Ioanis proudly announce the official endorsement and release of the Pohnpei State Food Security Policy, a groundbreaking initiative that will guide the state toward a more resilient and self-sustaining food system. The policy, initiated under the Oliver/Ioanis administration and recently endorsed by the 11th Pohnpei Legislature, was developed in collaboration with the Rutgers University Food Systems team and is the first of its kind in the Federated States of Micronesia.
Governor Joseph, in his forward to this pivotal document, underscored its importance, stating:
“Pohnpei State has enormous potential to strengthen our economy, improve our overall health and nutrition, and build upon our culture through the production of local food. This Food Security Policy serves as a living document to guide us as we take urgent, targeted steps to strengthen our local food system. There is much we can do together to incentivize and stimulate local food production for the benefit of our people.”
Currently, Pohnpeian families spend over 50% of their income on imported foods such as rice, wheat flour, vegetable cooking oil, cow’s milk, cane sugar, potato chips, and imported meats like pork and chicken. Much of these food items could be replaced with locally produced alternatives, reducing reliance on foreign imports and creating food production jobs within the state. Governor Joseph highlighted the economic opportunity presented by investing in local agriculture, stating:
“With each purchase of imported food, Pohnpeians are in fact paying for food production and processing jobs in other countries. We have become reliant on food grown and processed overseas that is then transported thousands of miles to us by cargo ship. This is food production and processing work that should be done in Pohnpei State to support local jobs and build our own resilient food system.”
The newly endorsed policy provides a roadmap for increasing local food production and processing capacity. This includes stabilizing inputs such as poultry and pig feed, which can be locally sourced to support the production of affordable and reliable chicken, eggs, and pork.
Governor Joseph also emphasized the role of policymakers in supporting the initiative, stating:
“We should consider requiring that food prepared for government functions, hospitals, and school meals be primarily made from locally produced ingredients. This would create a market for our farmers and fishers and would also inspire our people to creatively imagine new ways of preparing local foods as import substitutions.”
The Pohnpei State Government acknowledges the significant contributions of the previous Oliver/Ioanis administration and former Director of Resources and Development Hubert Yamada for laying the foundation for this policy. Governor Joseph reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to implementing the Food Production Master Plan 2025 and achieving the ambitious goal of increasing local food production by 50% within the next five years.
With this endorsement, the Pohnpei State Government takes a bold step toward a future where local food systems are strengthened, economic opportunities are expanded, and the health and well-being of all Pohnpeians are prioritized. The full 2025 Pohnpei Food Security Policy and Food Production Master Plan submitted is now available to the public and will serve as a guiding document for stakeholders in agriculture, fisheries, commerce, and public health.
For more information on the policy and upcoming implementation initiatives, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Office of the Governor, Pohnpei State Government.