A new initiative seeks to connect tourists who visit places like Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and the Solomon Islands with the sustainable gastronomy and culture of those islands and the farms or ocean ecosystems that birthed them.
The project aims to develop Gastronomy Tourism Itineraries that feature authentic experiences—such as visits to organic farms and culinary workshops—tailored to each destination’s cultural and environmental identity. It makes farmers cultural ambassadors and stewards of fragile ecosystems and of their communities.
Launched by UN Tourism, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO), The initiative is cumbersomely named Development of Sustainable Gastronomy Tourism Itineraries and Value Chains in the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Agriculture is central to rural island livelihoods, offering critical economic opportunities and employment. Agrifood systems play a crucial role in preserving and promoting cultural heritage and traditional knowledge while supporting biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management.
Smallholder farmers face persistent challenges including population decline, aging demographics, limited economic opportunities, and the gradual erosion of traditional practices. These island communities rely on integrated food systems rooted in traditional practices and rich ecological diversity.
By integrating agriculture into the tourism value chain, sustainable agritourism creates alternative income streams for small-scale producers while enhancing and diversifying the tourism offer in the islands building inclusion and sustainability.
It’s being implemented in Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Palau (through a dedicated project). In early July, small-scale producers, tourism operators and other industry stakeholders, tourism and agriculture associations, experts, and institutional stakeholders from across the Pacific will meet in Fiji. They will attend a workshop designed to strengthen technical skills; share best practices on linking agrifood systems with tourism; and explore collaborative strategies for building resilient supply chains and tourism products.
Participants will gain practical tools to transform local ingredients into authentic tourism experiences, improve market access and engage meaningfully with visitors. The workshop will create space for regional collaboration, cross-sector dialogue, and community-based networks.
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