LocationsWayfinders: In Conversation With: Robert Oliver MNZM
April 29, 2025
As we approach the Pasifika Futures Forum, UNDP Pacific is excited to present the "In Conversations With" series. This initiative will spotlight the voices and visions of Pacific leaders, thinkers, and community members, underscoring the vital role of Indigenous wisdom and knowledge in shaping the future of our region. Join us as we delve into insightful dialogues that celebrate the rich cultural heritage and innovative perspectives of the Pacific.
Today, we catch up with Robert Oliver, the chef and crusader for local cuisine.
How can Indigenous Pacific wisdom and knowledge help shape the future of our region by 2050?
Entirely. The Pacific Island Food Revolution (PIFR), by way of example, is based on the brilliance of the ancestors. It is something that is now being called regenerative knowledge and is potentially the basis of a intra- Pacific, fully localised development model. This is revolutionary for the Pacific region where development has largely been enacted through foreign system approaches. Dr. Morgan Wairiu of the Solomon Islands National University calls this “intactness”.
At PIFR we are going to use our platform to create a circular regenerative knowledge loop, where the Pacific’s inherent knowledge and existing food leaders enact the development of their own food sovereignty in countries and communities across the food system.
Regenerative Knowledge is not something new in the Pacific context. It is merely Indigenous knowledge rebranded for the modern era. But it must be stressed: Indigenous knowledge has always guided and informed Pacific people.
Renowned chef and Pacific food crusader, Robert Oliver.
What are the biggest challenges facing the Pacific today, and how can we turn these challenges into opportunities?
I guess most people would answer climate change or health, but to me these are the consequences of overlaying a way of life on the region.
The Western system has created a psychological impact, leading people to believe that their own ways - even their vanua - are somehow inferior. But the truth is, they’re not just as good - they’re often far better.
Environments are degrading, people are being left out of the economy, we are seeing poor health indicators globally, climate change; it’s time for the West to reflect and realise the Pacific had it right all along.
What is your personal vision for the future of your country, and the Pacific at large, and what steps do you believe are essential to achieve this vision?
The deep uptake of Indigenous knowledge will fix many of the challenges we currently face. I do it in my way with food, I use this as my opener for the talks I do.
I ask people, what if told you there was a way to impact climate change, at the same time to transform health outcomes, to create lasting food security, to reclaim food sovereignty, and to maintain biodiversity? And what if I also told you that you don’t need a fleet of consultants, complex development strategies or even political will to make this happen?
This can be a revolution led by mothers and grandmothers, cooks in schools and hospitals, chefs in restaurants and everyday people in their kitchens.
And I must add to that this isn’t hard or hopeless – rather, it is fun, it’s culturally affirming, community empowering, it makes people happy...and most of it all..it is delicious!
Learn more at the Pasifika Futures Forum from 9-14 May 2025 in Suva, Fiji.