With food insecurity and malnutrition on the rise, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, fundamental changes to the global food system are needed more urgently than ever.
The world relies heavily on a limited number of staple crops such as rice, wheat, maize, potato, soybean, and sugarcane for more than 75% of its plant-based energy intake. This precarious dependency not only threatens our resilience to geopolitical shocks and climate change, but also supports the development of diverse and nutritional It ignores the huge potential of high-value foods.
The current global predicament calls for a shift to more sustainable, resilient and nutritionally diverse food sources. One of the most overlooked but important solutions is aquatic food systems. Biodiverse and sustainably managed aquatic ecosystems provide a wide range of nutritious foods, from fish to algae, and are less environmentally friendly than traditional agriculture. It has the potential to contribute to the world’s nutritional needs while keeping impact low.
However, despite their obvious benefits, aquatic foods remain on the periphery of global food policy and dietary recommendations. The war in Ukraine should serve as a wake-up call, highlighting the fragility of dependence on a few staple grains. The conflict not only disrupts the supply of these staple crops, but also highlights broader issues of food system fragility in the face of geopolitical tensions and climate change.
Aquatic foods, produced sustainably and in harmony with nature, offer a viable path to diversifying our diets and enhancing food and nutritional security. Additionally, aquatic foods have the potential to revolutionize our eating habits. They bring a variety of flavors and nutrients to our meals, enriching our culinary traditions and improving our overall health. From fatty fish meat rich in omega-3s to mineral-rich seaweed, the aquatic world is a nutrient-rich treasure trove. Diversifying your diet with these foods can help reduce the risk of diet-related diseases such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, which are prevalent in societies that live on a narrow range of staple crops.
Additionally, growing and harvesting aquatic food often requires less land and fresh water than terrestrial food production, making it a sustainable option in an era of dwindling natural resources.
Given the escalating challenges, the time has come for a paradigm shift in how aquatic foods are viewed and utilized. This requires significant investment in research and development, infrastructure and policy reforms aimed at integrating aquatic food systems into the mainstream of global food and nutrition security strategies. It also requires a concerted effort to overcome the logistical and perceptual barriers that have traditionally kept these foods off our plates.
Shakuntala Haraksin Tilstead. Image: CGIAR.
Harvesting, growing and consuming aquatic foods provides a sustainable solution to food and nutrition security crises. Not only do they provide a rich source of essential nutrients, they also have a lower environmental impact than many terrestrial food sources. When managed sustainably, aquatic ecosystems can provide a continuous supply of nutritious food with minimal impact on the environment. This sustainable approach to food production is critical in the face of climate change and environmental degradation, which increasingly threaten the stability of food systems.
The benefits of incorporating aquatic foods into our diet extend beyond nutrition, health and environmental sustainability. It also provides significant economic opportunities, especially for coastal and riverine communities. Small-scale fisheries and aquaculture can provide livelihoods to millions of people, empower communities and foster economic growth. By investing in the sustainable development of aquatic food systems, we can create jobs, boost local economies and support the livelihoods of the world’s most vulnerable people. Many of its people have relied on fishing for thousands of years.
Indeed, aquatic foods play an important role in linking past and present, proving essential not only as nutrition but also as pillars of cultural identity. These foods are essential to festivals, rituals, and the foundation of daily life, demonstrating the culinary diversity and rich traditions that unite communities around the world. From ancient fishing methods passed down through generations to cooking methods steeped in history, aquatic foods embody the values of richness, purity, and the cyclical nature of life, and are enjoyed by many different cultures. resonates beyond. Incorporating this vast trove of traditional wisdom, practices and values into our approach to aquatic foods is an important part of protecting the biodiversity of our waters and ensuring the survival of the communities that depend on them.
However, integrating aquatic foods into the core of the global food system will require a concerted effort across multiple sectors. In addition to recognizing the nutritional and environmental benefits these foods offer, we also need comprehensive strategies to address the barriers to their widespread adoption. This strategy includes policy reform, infrastructure development, investment in research, and changing consumer perceptions.
Policy and investment: Governments and international organizations must play a vital role in developing policies that promote the sustainable development of aquatic food systems. This includes funding research into sustainable and diverse aquaculture practices, improving fisheries management, and creating incentives for farmers and fishers to adopt environmentally friendly practices. Investment in infrastructure is also needed to efficiently process, store and transport seafood to reduce post-harvest losses and make these foods more accessible to consumers around the world.
Research and innovation: Scientific research is important to advance our understanding of how to optimize the nutritional potential of aquatic foods and minimize their impact on the environment. Innovations in aquaculture technology, such as recirculation systems and complex aquaculture, can increase productivity while reducing the ecological footprint. Additionally, the study of underutilized species of fish, algae, and other aquatic organisms can open up new food resources, expand our nutritional palette, and provide resilience to crop failures and market fluctuations. There is likely to be.
Consumer education and market development: Changing your eating habits is not easy. Robust efforts are needed to educate consumers about the benefits of aquatic foods, not only for their health but also for the planet. Marketing strategies that emphasize the taste, versatility, and nutritional value of these foods can help change consumer preferences. Culinary innovations by chefs and food industry experts can introduce consumers to appealing ways to incorporate aquatic foods into their diets, making the unfamiliar familiar.
Sustainability and equity: As we turn to aquatic foods to diversify our diets and strengthen our food systems, sustainability must be at the heart of this transition. This means adopting practices that protect aquatic ecosystems and ensure fair distribution of resources. Protecting the rights and livelihoods of small-scale fishers and aquaculture farmers is essential, as is ensuring that industrial-scale operations do not marginalize communities that depend on these ecosystems for food and income.
Global cooperation: The challenges and opportunities presented by seafood transcend borders and require global cooperation and knowledge sharing. International cooperation can foster the exchange of best practices, support research and development efforts, and coordinate policy approaches to promote sustainable use of aquatic resources. By working together, countries can harness the potential of aquatic foods to address global food security and nutrition needs in an environmentally responsible manner.
At COP28 in December 2023, the United Nations High Level Champions on Climate Change announced a call to action: “Transforming food systems for people, nature and the climate.” In doing so, they state a clear intention to support the transition to and expansion of sustainable approaches to food production, explicitly including sustainable aquaculture and climate-resilient capture fisheries management. . This initiative aims to achieve visible results across food systems by 2030, in alignment with global efforts to mitigate climate change, strengthen biodiversity and ensure food and nutrition security for all. It’s part of a broader vision to drive significant visible progress. Additionally, aquatic foods are one of five key areas identified by Ocean Breakthroughs that set out concrete pathways to achieving climate and nature goals. As part of this, Breakthrough Roots will commit at least $4 billion annually to support resilient aquatic food systems that contribute to healthy, regenerative ecosystems and maintain food and nutrition security for 3 billion people. We have set a goal to provide.
Aquatic foods are a largely untapped resource with the potential to change our food system for the better. They provide sustainable, nutritious and resilient alternatives to traditional crop-based diets, improving global food and nutrition security, supporting economic development and protecting the planet. It has the power to protect. But realizing this potential will require a shift in perspective, significant investment, and a concerted global effort to respect and integrate the rich traditional wisdom and cultural practices surrounding these foods. is.
By embracing the diversity and abundance of aquatic foods and recognizing centuries of knowledge that have supported communities around the world, we can create a future where our diets are as diverse as the ecosystems that support them. You can pave the way to The path is complex and full of challenges, but the rewards, including a well-nourished population, a thriving economy, and a sustainable planet, are worth the effort.
Main image: Mishab Miradan/Unsplash.
