Local produce will be celebrated at Constitution Park today with a range of vendors at the World Food Day event.

The annual international event, celebrated by the food and agriculture arm of the United Nations, will be held from 9am to 2pm.

Ministry of Agriculture head, Temarama Anguna-Kamana said farmers would sell fresh and “value-added” products at the event. 

The theme for this year is “leave no one behind, better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life for all,” Anguna-Kamana said.

“All the global challenges that are surrounding us there’s going to be an impact on farming imports. There will be an increase in the cost of imports and it could affect our trade with regards to food that is imported into us, so for us it’s like, let’s stand together, support the farmers and the people involved in the bringing of food from overseas.

“We need to stand together and ensure that we always have food available.

“We just need to look out for each other and ensure that no one suffers malnutrition or hunger.”

Anguna-Kamana said the challenges for agriculture were flow on effects from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, labour shortages, climate change and the risk of invasive pests and diseases entering the country, like the African swine fever that is making its way round the Pacific.

“With all that aside we still need to come together and see how we can make this work for us in the Cook Islands.”

Anguna-Kamana said today’s event was also a chance for local growers and vendors to showcase items that they would not normally sell.

She was also happy that some local schools would sell produce at the event.