RESUMO
The establishment of the Island Food Community of Pohnpei, a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, presents a new approach for promoting Pacific Island food for its health and many other benefits. Its vision is holistic, stressing the importance of island food for sustainable development, economic benefits, self-reliance, improved health, cultural preservation, and human dignity, at the same time protecting the natural resources. A major reason for the establishment of this NGO is the emergence of an epidemic of nutrition-related health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, vitamin A deficiency, and anemia. Although health is at the cornerstone of the establishment of this NGO and health officers are integrally involved, the project is closely associated with the agriculture sector. The Island Food Community of Pohnpei works via an ethnographic participatory inter-agency approach, and its activities include the identification and promotion of nutrient-rich varieties of the traditional staple foods, incorporating the 'Yellow Varieties Message'. There are also activities to conserve rare varieties and to develop small-scale food processing.
