New IFCP Website Focuses on Awareness!!

The Island Food Community of Pohnpei (IFCP) is happy to announce that its new website has just gone "live" as of 17 June, 2005, at: http://www.islandfood.org.

As stated on the IFCP Home Page, this website has been developed to create further awareness about the importance of island food and to share information about our non-governmental organization and its activities.

It is hoped that the website may also serve as an educational tool and a showcase of the
tremendous value and potential of local island foods, and to contribute to increasing production and consumption of these foods for all the many reasons...health and economic benefits, food security, preservation of culture, agricultural biodiversity, self-reliance, and enjoyment!!

Some of the sections include:

• About IFCP: its officers (Adelino Lorens, Chairman, Bill Raynor, Vice-Chairman, Lois Englberger, Secretary/Treasurer/Research Advisor) and its vision and mission
  
• IFCP newspaper articles in the Kaselehlie Press along with photos
  
• IFCP brochure, newsletter, Pohnpei bananas poster and booklet, a photographic presentation of island foods with their nutrient content (including provitamin A carotenoids), and others
  
• Scientific papers presenting the results of analyses on island foods, thesis on food and nutritional beliefs and practices in Pohnpei, and other treatises
  
• IFCP consultancy reports prepared on Pohnpei bananas (including
  
• international classifications) and small-scale food processing development
  
• A preliminary collection of island food recipes
  
• IFCP community outreach programs and photos
  
• Frequently asked questions on island foods, health, and nutrition
  
• Our sponsors
  
• A photo gallery of island foods and people

Jason Aubuchon and Pamela Joseph helped us tremendously on this and we would
like to extend our thanks and acknowledgements to them.

Also thanks are expressed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for providing the funds for developing this website, and to our other funding agencies including the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Australian and New Zealand governments, Task Force Sight and Life, Pacific German Regional Forestry Project, the Centers for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment, and other universities and local partner agencies including the Pohnpei Agriculture, Pohnpei Departments of Health and Education, College of Micronesia-FSM, Conservation Society of Pohnpei, The Nature Conservancy, FSM Government, US Peace Corps, Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, Pohnpei Historic Preservation Office, and local businesses.