The International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) is promoting horticulture and pig and milkfish farming to improve nutrition in Kiribati, a diplomatic ally in the Pacific, developmental assistance team member Chen Hsiang-chi (陳翔齊) said.
The ICDF is affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and coordinates mobile medical teams to provide free services in foreign countries as an extension of the nation’s diplomacy.
Chen, the first certified nutritionist on the ICDF’s developmental assistance teams, on July 12 said that he has been working in Kiribati since 2015 and he previously worked in Nauru with the ministry during his alternative civilian service.
Photo courtesy of Chen Hsiang-chi
Kiribati, with a population of 110,000, according to a 2015 census, is comprised of 32 atolls and reef islands, including the Tarawa atoll.
The nutritional program, which Chen supervises, aims to reduce the prevalence of noninfectious chronic diseases in Kiribati by promoting healthier diets, he said, adding that it integrates existing horticultural programs in the region from the past 10 years.
Since 2015, the team has been encouraging the cultivation and consumption of fruits and vegetables, such as Chinese cabbages, bell peppers, eggplants and beans, he said, adding that the program supplies food to six schools and a hospital.
Photo courtesy of Chen Hsiang-chi
An information and education campaign is conducted at schools and in communities to promote healthier cooking and diets, he said.
The ICDF takes part in similar efforts in Nauru, Palau and the Marshall Islands from its base in Kiribati, he said.
Last week, the organization attended the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji to discuss broader issues of the region, with climate change looming large for its effects on food security, fisheries and sea level, he said.
The ICDF is to improve the quality of its programs and the nutritional effort is to emphasize a stronger link to local communities at the grassroots level, he said.
The fund is introducing cages at milkfish farms and adapting pig farming methods, with rising sea levels anticipated to reduce land availability, he said.
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