Blue solutions: Fish and the transformation to climate-smart food systemsDay 2 – 9th Oct | 17:00 – 18:30AYANA Ballroom

Brief Background

It is increasingly clear that fish and other aquatic products have an important, but largely unrecognized, role within global food system transformation. Recent global publications of WRI (2019) (“increased fish supply” as one of the top five global solutions for creating a sustainable food future), the EAT Lancet Commission on Food, Planet and Health, and CGIAR research clearly point to fish as a key component of a future healthy and sustainable food portfolio.

Fish are rich in micronutrients and can be farmed, fished and distributed in ways that are nutrition sensitive and climate-smart. Many species can, for example, be grown on agricultural and/or livestock by-products, thereby recycling nutrients and contributing to a circular economy. Fish farming is currently the fastest growing food sector, making efficient use of resources, and producing animal source food efficiently with low carbon footprints. Small-scale fisheries are also important sources of fish and other aquatic products, providing income and food for many smallholders, and a key role in helping many vulnerable communities adapt when land crops fail.