THE DCC Government is committed to address issues such as poverty, hunger and quality health when looking at agriculture-related issues in the country.

This is according to the government policies on National Development Strategy and other policy documents they are working towards.

PS of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Mr Jimi Saelea recently made the statement during the inception workshop to launch the FAO-funded TCP Project.

The project was on strengthening the capacity of farmers and food venders to supply safe nutritious food in Guadalcanal, Malaita and Temotu provinces of the country.

He said this project is in line with the government policies such as the National Development Strategies, the DCCG policies, and the National Agriculture and Livestock Sector Policy.

Adding that it also matches the Lokol Kaikai Framework as it looks at addressing global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals.

“To be more specific, SDG I, 2, and 3 to end poverty and hunger and to ensure good health to be addressed in this project.

“I believed this project will help invoke new ideas and innovations that will bring about an end to poverty, hunger and bring about good health to our children and people in the three starting provinces,” Mr Saelea said.

Meanwhile, he also explained it is expected the results of this project will be integrated into programmes that address nutrition issues at schools.

Mr Saelea said that will be through linkages with the “Health Schools Programme” which the MHMS supported by WHO and UNICEF are implementing.

“Also a similar programme initiated by the ROC – Taiwan technical Mission in 2016 looked at improvement of nutrition for students of a couple of schools in Honiara,” he said.

He pointed out that stakeholders should able to produce significant outcomes in improving food productivity, improve nutrition in schools, and development of safe food standards for food vendors.

“The agriculture and health sub-sectors are directly related to people’s nutrition, therefore this project as I said is timely with very appropriate objectives.

“Education which is responsible for schools also has a moral duty to support this project in other schools involved do participate fully.

“As we all know, children at an early age learn to adopt and adapt new ideas therefore, food nutrition must be instilled into the learning process in schools, at the primary level,” Saelea said.