Source:
KEYNOTE ADDRESS Associate Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Hon. Aiolupotea Misa Tony Aiolupo Thursday 30th October 2025
Susuga Tupa’i Fetaomi Seve, a’oa’o fesoasoani.
Honourable Speaker of Parliament,
Honourable Ministers of Cabinet, Associate Ministers and Members of Parliament.
Heads of Government Ministries and Corporations,
Mr Guangzhou Qu, FAO Subregional Coordination for the Pacific Islands,
Representative of Schools – Teachers and Students,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Talofa lava and a very Good Morning to you all.
It is an honored to speak on behalf of the Hon Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and SROS, Hon Fuimaono Maiava Tito Asafo who is unable to be with us this morning to the celebration of World Food Day 2025, under the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and Better Future”.
Today, as we come together to mark this important occasion, I am especially pleased to see the active participation of our schools, the teachers and young students’ today’s celebration. Your presence reminds us that the future of Samoa’s food systems depends on the knowledge, choices and values we pass on to the next generation.
This year’s celebration comes at a very important time for Samoa. Just this week, parliament passed the national budget for the financial year 2025 – 2026, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to investing in agriculture, fisheries and food systems transformation as one of the key drivers of growth, resilience, and well-being.
As part of our celebration, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is proud to officially launch six key sector documents that will guide our work towards stronger, climate – smart, and inclusive food systems.
These are:
1. Cost of Diet Analysis in Samoa – providing evidence on the affordability of
nutritious diets for all Samoans.
2. Samoa Aquaculture Management & Development Plan 2025 -2030 –
safeguarding our coastal resources and supporting livelihoods of our fishing
communities.
3. Samoa Coastal Fisheries Management & Development Plan 2025-2030 –
safeguarding our coastal resources and supporting livelihoods of our fishing
communities.
4. Samoa Tuna Management & Development Plan 2025 -2030 – ensuring
sustainable management of our valuable tuna resources.
5. Samoa Tuna Fisheries National Monitoring, Control, Surveillance &
Enforcement Strategy 2025 – 2030 – strengthening governance, transparency
and compliance in our offshore fisheries sector.
6. Midterm Review of the Samoa Food Systems Pathway 2030 – assessing our
progress and identifying areas for acceleration towards a resilient and inclusive
food future.
Together, these documents represent Samoa’s renewed vision, to harness the potential of our agriculture and fisheries sectors through evidence – based policies, improved coordination, and stronger partnerships.
In closing, I wish to acknowledge all our stakeholders and development partners for their continued support of Samoa’s agriculture and fisheries initiatives. Special thanks to the FAO Sub – Regional Office for the Pacific for their financial support, and to the participating schools, teachers and students for their valuable engagement in promoting sustainable food systems and nutrition among our future generations.
Let us continue working hand in hand, government and communities, farmers and fishers, partners and youth, to build a Samoa where local food is not only grown and harvested with pride but also sold and consumed with safety, dignity and value.
Thank you for your attention.
Soifua ma ia Manuia.