Cultivating health: Palau’s fields bring the Healthy Islands vision to life

 

At the edge of a sun-drenched taro patch, Jauna Rengulbai methodically tills the soil, careful to mix but not disturb the roots.

Her crops – taro, dragon fruit, banana, and various vegetables – demand attention. Soil degradation has resulted in farm fields like Jauna’s becoming less suitable for cultivation, partly due to climate change.

But farmers like Jauna are reclaiming the traditional farming techniques that once ensured Palauans had steady access to local fruits and vegetables.

“When I was young, the soil was richer. Now, many farms are moving up the hill where crops grow better,” explains Jauna.

A farmer, mother, and steward of the land, Jauna speaks with urgency about the need to return to traditional practices and island-living for the health of her community.

Besides a changing climate, the reliance on imported, processed foods have also negatively impacted Palau, contributing to a surge in diet-related health problems.

“The noncommunicable diseases situation is very sad here [in Palau],” Jauna says. “There is a lot of imported food, and the processed food is very unhealthy – but it is cheap. I notice children aren’t playing outside so much compared to before.”

Imported processed foods are appearing more as dietary staples, not just in Palau, but across the Pacific. Convenient but less healthy, they have contributed to a rise in obesity, diabetes and heart disease, echoing trends across the Pacific. But Palau, like its neighbors, is turning back to the land.

Jauna initially only grew taro in lowland pits. Over time, she diversified her farm into a vibrant mosaic: dragon fruit climbing trellises, banana plants casting shade, and vegetables sprouting in carefully managed beds.

“I’m diversifying my crops so that my family can eat freshly grown fruit and vegetables. This way they see colour on their plates – they see Palau,” Jauna exclaims.

 

^{Jauna Rengulbai tending to her crops on her farm.}

Government support and food sovereignty

This revival is not by chance. The Palauan Government has made efforts to strengthen public health and food security, putting into motion the very essence of the Healthy Islands vision.

The Healthy Islands vision, first endorsed by Pacific health ministers 30 years ago, called for Pacific people to live in balance with their environment. For Palau, this vision resonates deeply: environmental protection is both an ecological necessity and a health imperative.

Through training programmes, seed distribution and community farming projects, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment has encouraged citizens to reclaim fallow land and rebuild knowledge of traditional farming techniques as part of its broader health and climate strategies.

The Keled a Ngercheled (Our Food is Our Responsibility) initiative is one government programme that aims to encourage Palauans to engage in sustainable farming practices. Being in greater touch with the environment also speaks to the core belief in Palau that people are connected to the land.

Jauna’s message is echoed at the national level. Honourable Raynold B Oilouch, Palau’s Vice President and the Minister of Health and Human Services, and Honourable Steven Victor, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment, together are championing a bold, integrated approach towards the Healthy Islands vision with health at the heart of food security and wellbeing.

“Healthy Islands is a promise to our children that they will inherit not just clean air and water, but the knowledge to nourish themselves and their communities,” said Minister Oilouch.

The ministers are seeing various public health priorities like managing NCDs, food security, nutrition, and disaster resilience as one interconnected story of One Health – where the health of the land and sea are inseparable from the health of people.

“We’re seeing people drift away from having a connection to the land or to the ocean,” says Minister Victor. “Healthy Islands is not just about the land and the biodiversity itself but the people. It’s the interlink between people, biodiversity, the land and the ocean, and if one is in danger, then everything is in danger.”

Climate change adds urgency. Rising sea levels and stronger storms threaten food systems across the Pacific. By reintroducing drought-resistant crops, encouraging agroforestry and strengthening local supply chains, Palau’s farming revival addresses both immediate health needs and long-term climate adaptation.

“When we invest in safeguarding of the islands and ocean, we’re investing in sovereignty,” Minister Victor adds. “This is critical for the health of our Palauans in times of crisis and calm. The Healthy Islands vision is therefore a critical framework towards sustaining generations to come.”

^{A fulfilled and happy Jauna after a day on her farm.}

Healthy Islands: more than a vision

For Palau, the Healthy Islands vision is not only policy – it is lived philosophy.

From reef to ridge, Palauans embody a sacred connection to land and sea, where cultural identity and ecological stewardship are inseparable.

“When we talk about Healthy Islands, it’s really about keeping Palau as we’ve known it,” says Minister Oilouch. “When we give [Palau] to the future generations, it should still be the Palau we know in terms of its culture and identity, and the biodiversity that sustained our ancestors. It should be a place that we like to call home.”

The results are tangible. Local markets are increasingly showcasing homegrown produce: papayas, mangoes, taro and bananas. Some schools in Palau have launched pilot farm-to-table projects where locally sourced produce are incorporated into school lunch programs. These changes not only nourish bodies but also restore cultural pride.

This is the Healthy Islands vision in action – an identity and source of pride. A reminder that health is not only measured in clinics and statistics, but in the vibrancy of people’s spirit, health, local produce, the resilience of farmers, and the strength of communities who refuse to be passive in the face of global challenges.

Palau’s story shows that progress often comes from looking back. By re-embracing farming traditions, supported by modern policy and community will, Palau is not only feeding its people today but also cultivating resilience for the next generation.

Nestled between dragon fruit and taro patches, Jauna’s commitment to the farm-to-table movement is not simply practical, but symbolic.

As she gestures toward her diverse bounty of produce, she is earnest in her message: “We need the younger generation to remember their island roots. Exercise more and be on devices less – and pay more attention to healthy living.”