A/HRC/43/53/Add.1 living in the informal settlements need guidance on constructing and maintaining their sanitation facilities to minimize health risks. G. Healthy and sustainably produced food 76. In addition to being a vital element of the right to a clean and healthy environment, the right to be free from hunger and to have adequate food of acceptable quality are specifically recognized in the Constitution of Fiji (art. 36). 77. There has been a significant decline in the area of land being used for farming since 1990, with the largest declines relating to sugar cane farming and copra (coconut) production. With declining domestic food production and declining consumption of traditional foods, such as cassava, taro (also known as dalo) and other tubers, Fiji is importing a larger proportion of its food supply. This shift has been accompanied by a shift towards more energy-dense processed foods. A study published in 2013 revealed that 90 per cent of school-aged Fijian children drank soft drinks or other sugar-sweetened beverages on a regular basis. These dietary changes have social, economic, health, human rights and environmental implications. Fewer people are working in agriculture. Imported food is more expensive. The report on the state of the environment in Fiji refers to decreased food security.11 Imported foods, processed foods and meat generally have higher greenhouse gas emissions, more packaging and larger ecological footprints. Climate change is contributing to these changes, as domestic agricultural production suffered huge disruptions because of tropical cyclones, increased temperatures, drought, flooding and other climate-related factors. 78. With the decline in dietary quality, Fiji has experienced a dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity, now afflicting more than 30 per cent of all adults. Life expectancy, which was steadily increasing, has recently levelled off as a result. 79. Fisheries are vital to fulfilling Fijians’ right to food, and subsistence and commercial fisheries play an important role in contributing to the national economy. However, fisheries face multiple pressures, including climate change, pollution, invasive species and overharvesting. Several reports have highlighted concerns about the health of the marine ecosystems of Fiji, including the Asian Development Bank, the Institute of Marine Resources at the University of the South Pacific and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. Water pollution impacts bivalves and crustaceans, creating a pathway for foodborne disease. 80. Populations of some fish species relied on for subsistence are declining. 81. To its credit, Fiji has adopted a number of important measures, including a cap on offshore licences, a quota on albacore tuna, the increased use of observers, a ban on sharkfinning, and seasonal bans on catching grouper and harvesting sea cucumbers (bêche-demer). The Offshore Fisheries Management Act (2012) and the Offshore Fisheries Management Regulations (2014) represent important regulatory advances. In 2019, a company was convicted and fined F$ 20,000 for violating the Offshore Fisheries Management Regulations by harvesting, purchasing and/or exporting sea cucumbers. Fiji has an extensive network of locally managed marine areas, including tabu areas (areas temporarily or permanently closed to rebuild populations of different species), which has been effective. In addition, Fiji has formed partnerships with States, including New Zealand and the United States of America, in an effort to tackle the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in its huge exclusive economic zone. 82. Food-related recommendations made in the report on the state of the environment in Fiji include education programmes encouraging the consumption of traditional healthy foods, the conservation of traditional crop varieties, and regulations on the import and advertising of unhealthy snack foods such as soda pop, chips and instant noodles.12 It is also important to ensure access to land and fishing grounds for poor households in rural Fiji in order to enable them to maintain diverse and healthy diets. 11 12 14 Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Fiji’s State of Environment Report (Apia, 2013). Ibid., p. 128.