Samoa has beaten 18 other countries to be the first recipient of a new United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation Millennium Development Goal award .
The award given out in Italy this month recognises notable and outstanding achievement in combatting hunger and providing food security for citizens.
The Apia based Assistant Representative for FAO Programmes, Fiasili Vaeau - Lam, says Samoa's progress was measured by FAO estimates and other data, as well as its ability to fulfill international agreements.
"We've focused on three key elements. One is policy developments, such as policy response to the recent soaring food prices that we've had. The other area is agriculture productivity, which we've also included in the support to the agriculture sector for Samoa. And the pre and post disaster responses, for example the cyclone that happened recently, as well as the tsunami in 2009."
Fiasili Vaeau-Lam says their efforts with nutrition awareness was also likely to have been a factor.
