The question of how to feed and nourish a growing population without destroying the planet has become increasingly pressing, with an additional 150 million people going hungry last year compared to 2019. Food systems are under pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as they are responsible for approximately a third of all human-caused emissions. Sustainably meeting global nutritional needs will rely more on fish and other aquatic foods, which have a lower environmental impact and provide high nutritional returns.
However, protecting fish stocks and aquatic ecosystems to sustain necessary production and supply requires more investment and innovation. Despite the potential of aquatic food systems, there is a significant financing gap in research and development, with the investment gap in African aquaculture alone amounting to $12 billion annually.
Innovations are being developed to increase aquatic food production sustainably, such as selective breeding to improve strains of commonly caught fish and cutting-edge techniques to sequence common fish diseases. Scaling up these innovations globally could unlock gains in food and nutrition security and result in improved health, development, livelihoods, and equality.
Research shows that the fishing and aquaculture sector could be producing six times more than it is today under sustainable management, leading to increased affordability and a decrease in micronutrient deficiencies. Fish and aquatic foods offer a nutrient-rich and sustainable option for meeting the future nutritional needs of the global population.
A new Pact for the Future must include a commitment to leveraging fish and aquatic foods as the cornerstone of future food systems. The potential for fish and aquatic foods to address global nutritional needs sustainably is immense and must be acted on starting today.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
