Tuvalu National Agriculture Sector Plan, 2016-2023.

This National Agriculture Sector Plan (NASP) for the period 2016-2023 highlights 6 National Goals or Priority Areas: 1) Strengthened enabling environment for the agriculture sector; 2) A strengthened and well-functioning Department of Agriculture; 3) Farmers have adopted more resilient, productive and environmentally sustainable farming practices and techniques; 4) Demand for domestic agriculture products encouraged to grow; 5) Agriculture workforce increased, inclusive of landowners, women and youth; and 6) Access to safe, affordable and nutritious food enhanced.
The National Agriculture Sector Plan will strengthen national food security by: increasing domestic food production and productivity and ensuring consistent and dependable access to food; enhancing affordability and safety of food supplies; encouraging home food production including backyard gardening and fruit tree planting; investigating and applying incentives for domestic food production; promoting the consumption of healthy foods including local foods; strengthening policy, legislation and regulatory framework for the long term development of the agriculture sector; enhancing land use planning & utilization for agriculture development; and ensuring adequate long-term supply of labour force for agriculture sector development.
The NASP promotes increased agricultural production in an environmentally sustainable manner by: establishing a policy and planning framework to protect and develop suitable agricultural lands; strengthening compliance with environmental regulations and standards; promoting organic farming and establish organic farming as a major mode of production; and strengthening risk and disaster mitigation for the sector. In terms of biosecurity protection, the key actions include to promulgate the biosecurity legislation and to ratify the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
Regarding to enabling more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, actions include: to investigate and resolve monopoly in processing and marketing in the coconut industry; to establish legislation & regulations for the production, quality assurance, certification and trade on organic products; to promote micro-financing through farmers associations & marketing organizations with support from Government; etc. The drive for increased production and productivity is complemented by measures to enhance marketing of agricultural products locally and initiates efforts to export products to markets in other Pacific countries and further abroad. These measures include: starting the collection, evaluation and dissemination of marketing information; development and upgrading of marketing networks and infrastructure; enhancing market access; and expanding the marketing of biodiversity products and products from a flower and cottage agro-processing industries that will be encouraged to grow. Investigate and resolve monopoly in processing and marketing in the coconut industry
The NASP seeks also to enhance the contribution of agriculture to rural development by: promoting economic enterprises and entrepreneurship in rural communities; promoting income generating opportunities for households; building the capacity of community organizations; and maintaining an adequate supply of human resources for the sector. The effort will be made to increase the participation of youth and of women in agriculture and in so doing help slows down urban drift.
The NASP also highlights the importance to promote disaster risk resilience. Under the Goal 3: Farmers have adopted more resilient, productive and environmentally sustainable, one strategic direction is the strengthened risk and disaster mitigation for the sector. The main outcome is the disaster preparedness plan for the agriculture sector will be developed. The main actions are: Mitigate against food shortages resulting from natural disasters, including establishing emergency stockpiles; Strengthen early warning systems (including facilitating saving of crops & animals) for natural disasters; etc.