Agriculture ministers from around the region are meeting in the Marshall Islands to discuss ways to increase the level of food production in their own countries.
It's part of a conference held by the Food and Agriculture Organisation every two years where a number of key food security issues are on the agenda.
"The Marshall Islands Secretary of Resources and Development, Fred Muller, (pron. as in pull) says issues around fishing and forestry, as well as plant protection, biosecurity and food safety, will be discussed."
He says a plan to increase local food production has been under way for the last two years but they now want to gives this greater emphasis for the future.
It involves raising the level of food production as well as bringing in issues of better diet and nutrition for local food production. And, the second component is establishing small agri-businesses for marketing as well as a regional trade proposal.
Fred Muller
The meeting comes as malnutrition and urban poverty continue to rise in some areas of the Pacific.
