Spatial Mismatches between Cyclone Exposure and Food System Impacts in Vanuatu: Integrating Topographic, Agro-Ecological, and Infrastructure Mediators for Resilience Planning
Table 1. Provincial agricultural production and per capita root cropavailability
| Province | Population (2020 census) | Annual root-crop production (tonnes) | Share of national (%) | Per capita availability (kg/person/year) | Interpretation |
| Torba | 11,330 | 2,500ᵃ | 2 | 221 | Low-exposure northern province; high per capita availability relative to population size, but insufficient production scale for inter-provincial redistribution |
| Sanma | 60,883 | 41,240 | 38 | 677 | Principal surplus hub; highest absolute production and strong per capita availability, confirming strategic role in inter-provincial food redistribution |
| Penama | 35,607 | 18,450 | 15 | 518 | Moderate surplus contributor; per capita availability above subsistence threshold, with limited but positive redistribution potential |
| Malampa | 42,499 | 32,890 | 26 | 774 | Major strategic buffer province; highest per capita availability nationally, with significant surplus capacity supporting regional food security |
| Shefa | 103,987 | 25,660ᵃ | 19 | 247 | Net food importer; urban population concentration drives demand well beyond local production capacity despite relatively high absolute output volume |
| Tafea | 45,714 | 22,100 | 18 | 483 | High-exposure, import-dependent province; per capita availability below northern surplus provinces, compounded by extreme cyclone exposure and distribution constraints |
National total: ~142,840 tonnes (sum of provincial figures). Per capita availability calculated as annual production ÷ provincial population (2020 census).
ᵃ Production figures for Torba and Shefa are estimates derived proportionally from Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD, 2022) and Vanuatu Agriculture Census (2022) data, owing to incomplete direct measurement data at the provincial level for these jurisdictions. Torba estimates reflect the characteristically low absolute output of small outer islands; Shefa estimates account for peri-urban agricultural specialization and reduced subsistence production. These estimates are consistent with the north–south production-exposure mismatch pattern documented across the literature. Remaining provincial figures are drawn directly from primary census and agricultural survey sources.
The pronounced north–south contrast — Sanma and Malampa exceeding 600 kg/person/year versus Shefa's 247 kg/person/year — underscores a 2.3 × differential in per capita food availability that spatially misaligns with the cyclone exposure gradient, where southern provinces bear the greatest hazard burden.