Samoa marked the 2022 World Food Day at the Salelologa market in Savai'i on Tuesday with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (M.A.F.) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (F.A.O.) leading the celebration.

The World Food Day is normally celebrated globally on 16 October annually but this year it was moved to Tuesday 25 October, according to a media release issued by the M.A.F.

Farmers and fishers as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, the private sector, non-government organisations and the general public on the big island joined the celebration on Tuesday and viewed the various displays put up by local farmers, fishers and the business community showcasing their products and services at the event site.

As part of the World Food Day celebration, the M.A.F. officially launched three items: (a) the rebranding of the ta'amu variety in line with Samoa's export slogan "buy Samoa made". The ta'amu toga has been renamed ta'amu Samoa and ta'amu niu kini will be renamed ta'ama salafai; (b) Samoa Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 2022-2032; (c) the Citrus Export Plan.

The celebration kicked off with a devotional service led by Reverend Poule’a Tonise of Sapulu Salelologa Methodist Church who offered words of encouragement to all the farmers and fishers, followed by the keynote address by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, La’auli Leuatea Schmidt and the FAO Subregional Office representative Joseph Nyemah.

 La’auli acknowledged the collaboration between the Samoa Government and the FAO Subregional Office
with its numerous agriculture and fisheries sector stakeholders in promoting food, nutrition and income security.

He also acknowledged with thanks the presence of all those who attended celebrating of the World Food Day in Savai'i and encouraged the people of Samoa to take ownership of their agriculture and fisheries developments.