Introduction

The ICA-AP Regional Dialogue, “Cooperatives as Drivers of the Blue-Green Economy in the Pacific: Focusing on Economic Empowerment and Food Security,” is aimed at bringing together cooperative leaders, policymakers, development partners, and practitioners from across Pacific Island countries for a shared conversation on priorities, opportunities, and challenges.

The regional dialogue will explore how cooperatives can drive the blue-green economy by sustainably managing ocean and land resources, improving food security, and creating economic opportunities for women, youth, and indigenous communities. Participants will discuss enabling environments, share practical experiences, and develop a regional roadmap for cooperative development.

Through regional dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collaborative planning, participants will identify pathways for cooperative-led economic empowerment, sustainable resource management, and food security. This initiative is supported by the ICA-EU Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA2), underscoring a commitment to building resilient and sustainable cooperative ecosystems globally.

Pacific Island Countries

The Pacific region is home to rich biodiversity, vast ocean resources, and remarkable cultural and linguistic diversity. Yet Pacific Island countries face significant challenges, including geographic isolation, small and dispersed populations, limited economic diversification, high vulnerability to climate change, and frequent natural disasters. Pacific Island countries differ significantly in both size and population. Papua New Guinea is the most populous, with over 9.3 million people, while Fiji—the host of this event—has approximately 829,000 residents. At the other end of the spectrum is Pitcairn Island, with a population of just 50[1]. Despite their rich natural resources and cultural diversity, Pacific nations face shared challenges of geographic isolation, small and scattered populations, and high vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters.

According to the United Nations, youth make up 18% of the Pacific region’s population, compared to the global average of 16% and women accounts for 48.9%. However, this larger share of human resources faces significant challenges due to the region’s employment pattern (Source: ILO) which is marked by high levels of unemployment due to limited technical and entrepreneurial training opportunities, gender norms and youth marginalisation in economic planning, disproportionate exposure to climate impacts and food security, etc,. In general, Pacific labour markets are youthful, highly impacted and largely unskilled.

Youth and women are critical stakeholders in advancing a blue-green economy in the Pacific, particularly through cooperative enterprises that promote sustainable livelihoods, climate resilience, and food security. Despite their potential, they often face systemic challenges such as limited access to finance, land rights, markets, leadership opportunities, and capacity-building resources.

This regional dialogue will place special emphasis on the empowerment of young people and women, recognizing their dual role as innovators and custodians of natural resources. Through inclusive cooperative models, youth and women can drive solutions in areas such as sustainable agriculture, fisheries, eco-tourism, renewable energy, and waste management—key pillars of the blue-green economy.

Cooperatives and the Green-Blue Economy in the Pacific

The cooperative movement in the Pacific has evolved over the decades, shaping economic and social development through various phases of growth, challenges, and policy reforms. Cooperatives continue to contribute meaningfully to national economies across the region. For instance, Fiji has 715 cooperatives generating approx. $11.23 million in revenue. Papua New Guinea hosts over 12,000 cooperatives, contributing approx. $7.9 million in revenue. Kiribati has 572 cooperatives, with the majority active in the agriculture and fisheries sector and contributing to more than 5% of the nation’s GDP, serving as key drivers of local livelihoods and rural development. Vanuatu has 434 cooperatives generating approx. $7.47 million in revenue.

These figures reflect the vital role cooperatives play, particularly in supporting agricultural productivity, employment, and community resilience across Pacific Island nations. Cooperatives, with their community-based approach, offer sustainable solutions to many of the Pacific’s challenges. Agriculture and fisheries remain the backbone of livelihoods, with three-quarters of the population living in rural areas and depending on these sectors for food security and income.[2] Yet climate change, invasive pests, and reliance on food imports contribute to the region’s triple burden of malnutrition—undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and high rates of obesity.[3]

COVID-19 exposed the fragility of food systems and disrupted local economies, making self-reliance and resilient local production more urgent.[4] Cooperatives can help communities respond by enabling collective entrepreneurship, improving market access, reducing costs, and supporting sustainable practices in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry.[5] This is essential in a region where coastal fisheries alone support the food security of around 8.9 million Pacific Islanders.

By combining traditional knowledge with innovative approaches, cooperatives can promote inclusive development, empower women and youth, and manage land and ocean resources sustainably. This underscores the urgent need for a regional platform, Pacific Island Cooperative Network (PICON) that facilitates knowledge exchange, capacity building, and policy dialogue. Such a platform would strengthen cooperation across island nations, amplify the impact of cooperative enterprises, and support inclusive growth aligned with the blue-green economy vision. This aligns with the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, which prioritises people-centered development, sustainable resource management, and climate resilience.

ICA-AP initiatives in the Pacific

ICA-AP has been actively working to expand its presence and deepen its engagement in the Pacific Island region by increasing its membership and fostering collaboration with existing members.  In 2018, ICA-AP organized the Pacific Island Forum in Vanuatu, bringing together cooperative leaders to discuss shared challenges and opportunities. This was followed by partnerships with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) in 2020 and 2024, where dialogue and collaborative efforts among cooperatives in the Pacific were made to address the pressing issues of geographic isolation, climate vulnerability, and socio-economic challenges.

The ICA-EU FFPA2 project provides a critical opportunity to strengthen the cooperative movement in the Pacific. In June 2024, the International Cooperative Alliance Asia & Pacific (ICA-AP) conducted a needs assessment survey to identify the priority areas for capacity building among its member organizations. 22% of the members expressed interest in training on Cooperative Entrepreneurship. Through this capacity-building regional dialogue, ICA-AP aims to learn from cooperative experiences across the Asia-Pacific region and build on the previous work ICA-AP has done in the Pacific. By sharing best practices and strategies, this project will enhance the resilience and impact of cooperatives in addressing the unique challenges of Pacific Island nations.

Objectives

Enhance understanding of cooperatives’ role in advancing the blue-green economy, economic empowerment, and food security in the Pacific.
Promote inclusion and leadership of women, youth, and indigenous communities in the cooperative movement.
Facilitate dialogue on enabling environments, policy frameworks, and innovations for sustainable cooperative development in the region.
Strengthen regional collaboration through regional platform, Pacific Island Cooperative Network (PICON), to build a shared vision and roadmap for cooperative action.

Target Participants

This regional capacity-building event will bring together:
Government representatives from participating Pacific Island countries.
Cooperative leaders and practitioners, including representatives of women, youth, and indigenous groups.
Civil society organisations, development agencies, and regional bodies.
Technical experts, researchers, and international partners.
Anticipated number of participants: ~35–40 people

Location

The event is planned to be organised in Fiji in 28 -30  January 2026.

Regional Dialogue Support

This regional dialogue is organised by the International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP) as part of the ICA–EU Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA2).

[1] Pacific Community (SPC). Pacific Data Hub – Population Dashboard. Available at: https://pacificdata.org/dashboard/population-dashboard. Accessed June 2025

[2] Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). Annual Operational Plan – Pacific Island Countries. 2021–22. p. 53.

[3] Ibid. p. 53.

[4] Ibid. pp. 54.

[5] Ibid. pp. 55–58.

Program Agenda