Samoa advances efforts to align food systems and climate action through National Convergence Dialogue
Apia, Samoa, November 2025 - Representatives from government, civil society, community organizations, development partners, the private sector, and technical institutions came together in Apia for Samoa’s National Convergence Dialogue – a major step in strengthening coordination between food systems transformation and climate action. The Dialogue reaffirmed Samoa’s commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) and co-organized by the FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.
The Dialogue marks an important milestone in Samoa’s engagement in the global Convergence Initiative, launched in 2024 to accelerate synergies between climate action and food systems transformation. As a pilot country in the Pacific, Samoa is working to identify and expand solutions that strengthen sustainable agriculture, food security, climate resilience, nutrition, and community well-being.
In his keynote remarks, Samoa’s Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Fuimaono Maiava Tito Asafo, emphasized the urgency of aligning climate and food systems action: “Climate and food systems challenges cannot be addressed in isolation. Here in Samoa, this truth is lived every day. Our lands, oceans, and communities are on the frontlines of climate impacts. Cyclones, droughts, changing rainfall patterns, and coastal erosion threaten our agricultural production, food security, and livelihoods. And yet, agriculture and fisheries remain at the very heart of our economy, our culture, and our way of life.”
Delivering a speech on behalf of FAO Subregional Coordinator Guangzhou Qu, FAO Nutrition and Food Systems Officer Jia Ni underscored the importance of the Dialogue. “It is a platform to identify priority synergies between agriculture, food, climate, and nature, and to strengthen the governance and investment frameworks that can make these synergies real,” Jia Ni said.
To date, more than 20 countries worldwide have engaged in the Convergence Initiative, with Samoa and Fiji leading its rollout in the Pacific Islands.
Participants reviewed and validated Samoa’s National Convergence Action Blueprint, a strategic framework that aligns national food systems priorities with climate adaptation and mitigation goals. The Blueprint identifies essential policy components and governance mechanisms to drive convergence across sectors such as agriculture, water, nutrition, biodiversity, and social protection. Stakeholders also discussed priority investment areas and policy actions to strengthen climate-resilient agriculture, reduce import dependency, and enhance local food production and value chains – ensuring that Samoan communities remain central to the transition.
Minister Fuimaono highlighted the Dialogue's role in strengthening national coordination and long-term commitment: “This Convergence Dialogue is therefore not just a consultation; it is a commitment. A commitment to work together, to coordinate better, to invest smarter, and to put our farmers, fishers, and communities at the center of our development.”
Samoa’s convergence vision is clear: Transforming sustainable food systems through agroecological, integrative, innovative, and climate-smart action for a resilient, equitable, and healthy Samoa where every person and community participates and benefits.
To deliver on this vision, the Blueprint outlines eight convergence intervention areas:
- Strengthen multi-sectoral approaches and policy coherence across food systems, climate action, and nutrition
- Boost sustainable supply chain transformation through rural development
- Advance agroecological and circular food systems
- Encourage healthier and more sustainable consumption and nutrition shifts
- Accelerate climate-smart innovations and technologies
- Promote sustainable financing mechanisms
- Build national capacities for climate adaptation and food systems transformation
- Embed gender equality, disability inclusion, and social protection across all actions.
Samoa’s strong cultural foundations and community-led governance systems – including the District Development Programme (DDP), Fono a Itumalo, and traditional village leadership networks – provide a powerful platform for inclusive and locally driven action. These structures ensure climate-smart food systems solutions are rooted in Samoan values, safeguard land and natural resources, strengthen families and communities, and support the leadership of youth and women.
The National Convergence Dialogue builds on these strengths. Through its partnership with the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, Samoa benefits from global technical support, country-to-country learning, and tools that enable governments to align food systems and climate priorities in a coherent and integrated manner. This collaboration helps ensure that Samoa’s policies and investments keep pace with emerging risks while unlocking opportunities for resilience, innovation, and sustainable development.
Samoa’s continued leadership signals its commitment to protecting food sovereignty, enhancing resilience, and securing a prosperous, healthy, and climate-resilient future for all Samoans.
