The National Food and Nutrition Centre (NFNC) has moved a step closer to delivering a long-promised, whole-of-life food and nutrition security policy after preliminary drafts were forwarded to the Ministry of Health this month, Acting Manager Kriti Prasad said. The development marks the latest progress in a policy process that began in 2025 and is intended to knit together agriculture, health, education and other sectors to guarantee access to safe, nutritious food for all Fijians.
Prasad described the initiative as following a “womb-to-tomb” approach, designed to address nutritional needs across the lifespan — from maternal health and infant feeding through child and school nutrition to adult and elderly diets — while also strengthening the broader food system. Work on the policy began last year, she said, with initial drafts sent to the Ministry of Agriculture in October before being referred on to Health for further technical input. Once finalised, the policy will be presented to the Secretary’s office for formal approval and eventual implementation.
The NFNC’s push seeks to create a coordinated platform for actions such as school feeding programs, community nutrition initiatives and cross-sectoral measures that link production with dietary outcomes. “It’s about ensuring every Fijian, from infancy to adulthood, has access to safe and nutritious food while also supporting sustainable food systems,” Prasad said, summarising the policy’s twin priorities of nutrition and sustainability.
The move comes amid mounting concern over the double burden of malnutrition in Fiji — persistent undernutrition alongside rising rates of overweight and childhood obesity — and growing household food insecurity. Health and nutrition experts consulted by the NFNC believe a unified policy framework can help address those intertwined problems by aligning agricultural production, market access, health services and school-based interventions to improve dietary quality and affordability.
The timing of the policy drive also coincides with broader economic pressures that could complicate food access. A consumer watchdog warned earlier in March that global tensions risked raising fuel and food import costs for Fiji, highlighting the vulnerability of an island economy reliant on imports. NFNC officials say the policy is intended to bolster long-term resilience to such shocks by promoting diversified, sustainable local food systems alongside targeted nutrition measures.
Details on the policy’s specific programmes, funding and implementation timetable have not yet been released while ministries review the draft. Prasad said the current phase is focused on consolidating feedback from Agriculture and Health so the final document can be advanced to the Secretary’s office. If approved, the policy would provide a national blueprint for coordinated action across ministries, donors and community partners to reduce malnutrition, improve child health outcomes and strengthen food security.
Prasad framed the process as a strategic step toward national resilience: by embedding nutrition objectives across sectors and life stages, Fiji can better protect vulnerable groups and build healthier, more food-secure communities over the long term.
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