The ICoFaN Project was launched in January 2020, aiming to co-create and evaluate community and household level interventions aimed at improving local food production and nutrition in Small Island Developing States (SIDS); countries that rely heavily on imported food.

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated impact to global food supply chains, emphasised the need for sustainable food security in SIDS.

The situation highlighted the importance of the project objectives in the long term, but prompted a shift in project priorities to address the immediate shock to the food system.

As a reactive and adaptable international team, we redirected our resources to where the project countries needed it the most. Co-developed evaluative tools were adapted to measure the impact of COVID-19 on food sourcing, food insecurity and diets in Fiji in the Pacific, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in the Caribbean. Funding was used by partners FRIEND in Fiji to develop backyard gardens for dietary diversity and food security in the Yasawas. Further, funding was managed by our partners Richmond Vale Academy to rebuild gardens for food security and livelihoods following a volcanic eruption, during the pandemic, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Photograph of a garden re-building session in St. Vincent, following the volcanic eruption, during COVID-19 pandemic.

These events that occurred during the project, emphasise the vulnerability of SIDS to food system shocks and highlights the need for developing equitable local food systems within SIDS to contribute to food security and sovereignty in these regions.

ICoFaN: https://www.ecehh.org/research/food-small-island-states/

Sustainable food security in SIDS: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32837642/

Impact of COVID-19 in Fiji: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X21000524

FRIEND: (Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development): http://friendfiji.com/

RVA: https://richmondvale.org/