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Efforts are underway to develop a regional economic development and food security
initiative that could open doors for new avenues for the Pacific outside of tourism. A
recent visit to Palau by Dr. Tusi Avegalio, sales the Director of the Pacific Business Center
Program of the University of Hawaii, reveals that breadfruit, a staple food found
anywhere in the Pacific, has been discovered as a gluten-free source of food. This
discovery presents a new opportunity for the Pacific, as gluten-free food products have
reportedly reached a valued of $4.2 billion dollars and expected to rise to over $6 billion
by 2017. With islands such as Jamaica and the Philippines successfully processing
breadfruit into flour, which sells well on the market, Dr. Avegalio believes the Pacific can
benefit from the production. Taking this initiative forward, Dr. Avegalio is working with
C.H. Robinson, a food products distributing company in developing breadfruit flour. This
initiative will reportedly benefit small-scale production of breadfruit in island nations
such as Palau. Instead of acres of breadfruit farms, islanders may harvest and sell the
fruit directly to a wholesaler.
