Seychelles National Food and Nutrition Security Policy

GOVERNMENT OF REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES
NATIONAL FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY POLICY
(NFNSP)
June 2013
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GOVERNMENT OF REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES
NATIONAL FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY POLICY (NFNSP)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
1.1 Food and Nutritional Security Status
1. Food and nutritional security remains one of the most important pillars to sustainable
development and economic growth in all countries and Seychelles is no exception. Government
therefore commits itself to ensure a consistent supply of nutritious, affordable and safe foods for all
Seychellois.
2. The Republic of Seychelles is a “Small Island Developing State”, all of which share several unique
and common characteristics. All are vulnerable to economic, social and environmental challenges.
These arise from the interplay of their smallness, remoteness, geographical dispersion, vulnerability to
natural disasters, the fragility of their ecosystems, constraints on transport and communication,
isolation from markets, vulnerability to exogenous economic and financial shocks, soaring food prices on
international markets, a limited internal market, lack of natural resources, growing populations and
changing consumption patterns, limited fresh water supplies, heavy dependence on food imports to
meet domestic needs and limited commodities, reliance on only one or two economic pillars, depletion
of nonrenewable resources, slow progress in developing and deploying science and technology to
address development challenges, limited ability to reap the benefits of economies of scale and migration
of experienced and skilled professionals. They are also vulnerable to exogenous shocks that may be
brought about by regional and global geo-political events and global economic perturbations, all of
which can rapidly contribute towards food insecurity.
3. Seychelles is classified as an upper middle income country (World Bank List of Economies 2012),
with a GDP of US$ 1.01 billion and a per capita GDP of US $25 000 (2011), yet 17% of Seychellois live
below the national poverty line which in Seychelles is estimated as 13,554 Seychelles rupees per adult
equivalent per year.
According to the FAO definition, food security is understood to “exists when all people, at all times, have
physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs
and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Household food security is the application of this concept
to the family level, with individuals within households as the focus of concern” (World Food Summit 1996).
On the other hand, “Nutrition security is when food security is combined with education, a sanitary
environment, adequate health services and proper care and feeding practices to ensure a healthy life for all
household members”. (UNSCN 6th Report on the World Nutrition Situation).
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4. Seychelles has a population of approximately 90 000 people (mid 2011), with an estimated
population growth rate, in 2012, of 0.922 percent (CIA World Factbook 2012). Food and nutritional
security in the Seychelles is a growing concern for the majority of its inhabitants. A growing population
(albeit slowly) and international factors such as changes and uncertainties in global food systems and
volatility in food prices driven by many factors, including climate change, impact heavily on food and
nutritional security. Seychelles is highly dependent on food importation and hence increasingly exposed
to non-accessibility, brought about by exporting countries limiting or even stopping exports of some
food commodities.
5. Food imports in 2011 totaled around $87.79 million, while food exports amounted to $40.88