Data collected during multiple market assessments done in Samoa will enable the Samoa Government to develop well-informed food security policies.

The market assessments were done by a research team from The University of the South Pacific (USP) and the World Food Programme (WFP), which visited Samoa recently and spent two weeks conducting interviews and focus group discussions. A total of 111 market assessments were done across four market areas, namely Apia, Vaitele, Vailele and Salelologa and markets’ traders, supermarkets and shop owners. Additionally, four focus group discussions were conducted, according to a press release issued on Monday by USP.

The primary goal is to use the data collected from these interactions to estimate the Market Functionality Index, which is a WFP flagship indicator that allows one to understand whether national markets are able to satisfy Samoan’s essential needs, identify strengths and weaknesses of local markets, and highlight areas that require intervention. Its ultimate goal is to assist the government of Samoa in developing well-informed policies to ensure its citizens are able to meet their essential needs, with a special emphasis on food security in the aftermath of a disaster.

The successful data collection would not have been possible without the incredible support and collaboration of our partners: The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD), the Samoa Bureau of Statistics (SBS), and the USP Alafua Campus. Their contributions facilitate the project’s successful implementation in-country.

This project represents a collaborative effort between the USP and the WFP, aiming to localize research and contextualize tools to collect vital market information.

The joint USP-WFP Pacific project in Samoa and Fiji focuses on building resilience, striving to create sustainable, adaptive, and self-reliant communities capable of tackling present and future challenges. Such initiatives play a crucial role in safeguarding the well-being and development of the region’s people and their environments.

The vulnerability of our islands to these calamities necessitates vigilant monitoring of their effects and the establishment of well-informed disaster response policies. This initiative aims to protect household food security and essential needs and improve the lives of the most vulnerable populations. Markets play a paramount role in enhancing people’s livelihoods, enhancing food security and enabling them to meet their essential needs.