Why are taro, bananas, and sweet potatoes scarce in Kiribati?

In Kiribati, the scarcity of crops such as taro, bananas, and sweet potatoes is primarily due to the country's geography. Most of the islands are low-lying atolls that rise no higher than 26 feet (8 meters) above sea level, which limits the availability of suitable soil and conditions for these specific plants.

While a coarse, tarolike plant known as Cyrtosperma chamissonis can be cultivated in pits, the environment is generally dominated by coconut palms, breadfruit, and pandanus. Because of these agricultural limitations, the nation relies on imports for a significant portion of its food supply.12