Food Security and Land Disputes in Vanuatu's Peri-Urban Neighbourhoods-An Exploration of Linkages

Abstract

Food insecurity in Vanuatu mainly stems from the country’s growing dependency on imported food staples and a concurrent shift away from traditional staples and forms of small-holder agriculture. The change in dietary patterns and agricultural production is especially pronounced within the peri-urban areas surrounding the country’s capital, Port Vila, and has become a major public policy issue for the country. While populations have become more food insecure, the occurrence of land disputes stemming from custom land ownership and expatriate investment have become more frequent. Often, local Ni-Vanuatu cite land disputes as disincentives or barriers to investing in or expanding traditional small-holder agricultural production. After reviewing some of the literature on food security and land tenure in Vanuatu, this paper uses survey data collected from Vanuatu peri-urban and rural areas in June, 2012 to test the relationship between perceived land disputes and food security.