Policy Review on the Papua New Guinea National Food Security Policy 2018-2027

 

By: Norbertina VOGAU


Introduction

The Papua New Guinea National Food Security Policy (PNGNFSP) is a comprehensive 10-year framework aimed at ensuring sustainable food security across the nation. It was developed by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to address the growing challenges of food insecurity in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This review assesses the weaknesses of the policy framework through evaluating the challenges and providing recommendations to strengthen its implementation framework.

Summary

The PNGNFSP 2018-2027 is a framework aimed at enhancing agriculture and improving nutrition with inclusive governance. It replaces the NFSP 2000-2010 and aligns with the PNG Vision 2050 and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 to end hunger and promote sustainable agriculture. The policy outlines five strategic priority areas to strengthen national food security in the country.

  1. Productivity and farm output growth by enhancing the production of food staples, horticulture, small livestock, and fish farming while increasing efficiencies along the entire food value chain.
  2. By developing food production and supply systems that are stable and resilient to the impacts of climate change.
  3. Enhance nutrient content and balance of food products to improve the quality of food consumed by vulnerable households and individuals, ensuring a balanced diet is consumed to combat malnutrition.
  4.  Empowerment of women in agriculture by promoting women’s participation in agriculture by providing income-generating opportunities and their involvement in decision-making.
  5. Strengthened governance, coordination, monitoring, and communication to ensure the full implementation of this policy is underway.

While the policy addresses numerous strategic priority areas, its implementation has been posed with challenges, contributing to PNG’s inability to fully and effectively deliver services to achieve the policy objectives.

Critique 

The PNGNFSP 2018-2027 aligns with the National Security Policy (NSP) 2013 by contributing to the country’s security goals, especially to strengthen the resilience of its food systems, and safeguarding the well-being of its population. Both policies highlight the importance of national stability, where NFSP focuses on sustainable agriculture, climate change resilience, and improving nutrition to enhance social and economic security, thus supporting the objectives of the NSP to protect the country’s resources and ensure long-term stability and development.

One of the key weaknesses of the PNGNFSP 2018-2027 is the lack of infrastructure to fully implement this policy, such as inaccessible road networks, especially to the rural and remote areas. Road networks play an important role in delivering services, as they limit the access to markets and hinder the distribution of food, making it difficult for farmers to reach consumers. As highlighted by Nao (2023), “These are basic services that are required by households and businesses for consumption and for sustenance of livelihoods where an effective trunk infrastructure system is required for orderly development to occur.” This lack of service provision undermines the policy’s goal of improving food security, as it becomes difficult for farmers to reach markets in time, resulting in increased loss of post-harvest goods, low income for farmers, and high food prices, undermining food access for the vulnerable population.

Another notable weakness of the policy is its heavy reliance on shared funding across various agencies and development partners. This dependence can create challenges in ensuring that there is sufficient funding given, as the lack of financial commitments or proper allocation of resources may delay the policy implementation, as the effectiveness of the policy may be compromised at the provincial, district, and local levels. Duncan and Banga (2018) highlight this issue, noting that “efforts to improve service delivery in PNG by devolving the activities to the provincial or district level have long suffered the widespread problem of a mismatch between the allocation of responsibilities and the flow of funds from the central government to the periphery authorities to carry out their responsibilities.” Thus, undermining the policy’s impact on food security at the grassroots level.

Recommendation

For the successful execution of the Papua New Guinea National Food Security Policy 2018-2027, it is recommended the government should prioritize improving road infrastructure to provide easier market access for farmers. This would ensure that food distribution is delivered on time, farmers are able to attain a higher income, and there is a reduction in the post-harvest losses. Furthermore, establishing direct funding for food security initiation and not relying on shared funding is crucial as it prevents delay to the implementation of this policy. 

Conclusion

The PNG National Food Security Policy 2018-2027 is a significant move that the PNG government has taken to improve food security, but it is posed with challenges such as poor infrastructure and reliance on external funding causing delay. By addressing these areas, the government will be able to ensure that the policy is delivered successfully on its promise of proving sustainable food security and improved nutrition for all.

 

References

Duncan, R & Banga, C. (2018). Solutions to poor service delivery in Papua New Guinea. Asia & The Pacific Policy Studies, 5(6), 495—507.  https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.260

Nao, L. (2023). Addressing the deficit in trunk infrastructure across Papua New Guinea. The National Research Institute. https://pngnri.org/images/Publications/Spotlight_Vol16_Iss5_Logea_Nao.pdf

 

 

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