Solomon Islands: Fortification Investments Fortify Against COVID-19 Shocks

As COVID-19 pressed pause on fortification activities in the region, the Solomon Islands maintained implementation and monitoring of its new rice fortification standard,

which had become effective August 2019, due to plans put in place with FFI and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s support from 2015 through 2020.

In the early days of the pandemic, the Solomon Islands considered suspending rice fortification due to a temporary Vietnamese ban on rice exports that came into effect in March 2020. And in April and May 2020, Viet Nam introduced rice export maximums to protect its national rice supply.

Much of the fortified rice that the Solomon Islands imports is blended in Viet Nam, and supply chains to fortify rice in alternate exporting countries had not yet been established. However, because the Solomon Islands had stockpiled fortified rice, the country was able to maintain national supply without suspending the fortification mandate until Viet Nam resumed regular exports in May.

“Agencies in the Solomon Islands successfully maintained the import monitoring protocol for rice fortification throughout the pandemic, which ensured that all imported rice was fortified.”

Most impressively, border control agencies in the Solomon Islands successfully maintained the import monitoring protocol for rice fortification throughout the pandemic, which ensured that all imported rice was fortified. In coordination with Customs and Biosecurity, the Environmental Health Unit of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) implemented a compliance and enforcement framework for importing fortified rice that was developed in partnership with FFI. The framework requires each shipment of rice to provide certificates of compliance and testing.

According to MHMS quarterly reports, certificate checks and spot testing at ports show over 100% compliance. With these impressive findings, MHMS has committed long-term inspection resources to oversee fortification compliance and to continue building a healthier future for Solomon Islanders.