This report summarises results of a rapid country scan on the agriculture-nutrition nexus in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Research included a desk review of accessible policies, programmes and other documents, published and unpublished, as well as a field mission to RMI from 11 to 30 December 2017. The mission allowed additional quantitative and qualitative data gathering with interviews, site visits and a small seminar to debrief interviews, present preliminary findings and discuss potential follow-up with some stakeholders.

This 2016 Article IV Consultation highlights that the economy of the Marshall Islands is estimated to have expanded by about 0.5 percent in FY2015 (ending September 30), as the fishery sector recovered. Following a moderate inflation of 1.1 percent in FY2014, headline inflation dropped to –2.2 percent in FY2015 amid falling oil and utility prices. The fiscal balance is estimated to have recorded a surplus of about 3 percent of GDP in FY2014–15, owing to record-high fishing license fees. Growth is expected to rise to about 1.5 percent and inflation to about 0.5 percent in FY2016, as the effects of the drought in earlier 2016 are offset by the resumption of infrastructure projects.