Dar es Salaam – Amid growing international interest in the role of fisheries and aquaculture in feeding a growing global population while keeping the planet healthy, over 200 experts and policymakers are meeting at the Blue Food Forum to explore the potential of aquatic value chains in driving food system change.
Hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania and the fish value chain development programme FISH4ACP on 12-13 September 2024, the forum puts a spotlight on good practices in aquatic food value chain development to foster debate on how these can help shape national and international policy aimed at tackling global challenges such as malnutrition, poverty and environmental degradation.
“Conflicts, economic disparities, climate change and pressure on natural resources are some of the main drivers of food insecurity,” said Manuel Barange, FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division. “Addressing these challenges requires a transformation of our global food systems –and aquatic foods are essential to make this happen.”
The forum builds on international momentum around food system transformation sparked by the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021, where food producers, civil society, researchers, the private sector, and the UN system launched a movement to transform the world’s food systems in pursuit of the UN’s Sustainable Development Agenda.
FISH4ACP in practice
FISH4ACP has implemented a range of projects that contribute to food and nutrition security, economic prosperity and job creation by ensuring the economic, social and environmental sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
“New smoking and drying methods are helping women fish processors on Lake Tanganyika produce more food and increase their incomes,” said Riziki Shemdoe, Permanent Secretary of the United Republic of Tanzania’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, explaining how joint efforts with FISH4ACP tailored to the needs of local fishing communities are improving Lake Tanganyika’s sardine, sprat and perch fisheries.
In the Dominican Republic, FISH4ACP is working with the government to support the artisanal mahi-mahi fishery. It has established a long-term framework that includes social protection programmes for vulnerable fishers and vendors – a crucial safety net that helps fishing communities cope with the unpredictability of catches and extreme weather events.
FISH4ACP is supporting the Marshall Islands in building local capacity in the maintenance and repair of refrigerated shipping containers. This is a small but vital boost to this island nation’s ambition to strengthen its position as a hub for tuna containerization and bring more of the tuna industry’s value onshore to stimulate domestic growth and create job opportunities.
“Fisheries and aquaculture are the cornerstone of the livelihoods, economies, and cultures of many African, Caribbean and Pacific countries,” said Cristelle Pratt, Assistant Secretary General for the Environment and Climate Action at the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
The OACPS, which is leading the FISH4ACP initiative, hosted its biannual meeting of ministers of fisheries and aquaculture back-to-back with the Blue Food Forum. “The message that localized solutions drive global food system transformation is music to the ears of many across the OACPS countries,” she added.
FAO implements FISH4ACP with funding from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
A prime example of collaboration
“No one can achieve this transformation alone,” said Raphael Goulet, Head of Unit for Ocean Governance, Law of the Sea and the Arctic, European Commission. “Spanning 12 countries across three continents, FISH4ACP is a prime example of how collaboration can drive catalytic change to strengthen fisheries and aquaculture value chains,” he added.
“Transforming global food systems involves sustainable and inclusive fisheries and aquaculture value chains for everybody,” said Andreas Schaumayer, Head of Department, BMZ.
