Food imports such as white rice and white flour are gradually replacing the local staples of taro, yams, breadfruit and sweet potato because of their cheapness and convenience. This has been associated with the transition from mainly subsistence to cash economies. Simultaneously, with this transition there has been an alarming increase in diet-related chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease that has seen some Pacific nations disease rates rise to some of the highest in the world. Coupled with this is an ever increasing urbanisation, which in itself has created pockets of poverty which never existed before. Food security, both at the national and household level is becoming one of the major issues for these countries.
Most countries are in a trade deficit in foodstuffs and therefore are dependent on food imports.
Many households do not have access to a wide enough variety of nutritious foods to maintain health. There are possibly many other crops that local people feel are essential that could be lost forever unless they are collected and documented. I am far from an expert in botany or horticulture but feel that many people do not realise how important these crops are for their independence per se.