The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) welcomed the inclusion of fisheries, aquaculture, and family farming as key priorities in this year’s G20 discussions, recognizing their crucial contributions to global nutrition and livelihoods.
The G20 Agriculture Working Group Ministerial Declaration, finalized this week, officially recognized FAO’s Blue Transformation Roadmap (2022-2030) as a key framework for ensuring long-term sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture. This declaration also highlighted several FAO tools and guidelines, such as those for sustainable aquaculture and small-scale fisheries, as well as the Agreement on Port State Measures aimed at combating illegal fishing practices.
At the G20 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting in Mato Grosso, Brazil, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu stressed the significance of sustainable growth in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors to meet the increasing global demand for food and to address nutritional gaps, particularly in developing regions. He underscored FAO’s Blue Transformation strategy, which focuses on enhancing aquatic food systems to support the world’s growing population.
Aquatic foods currently supply over 3.3 billion people with a significant portion of their animal protein intake. Aquaculture has become the fastest-growing food production sector, generating livelihoods for around 600 million people worldwide. In 2022, the sector reached a record first-sale value of $472 billion. However, challenges like overfishing and environmental damage remain critical issues. To address these, FAO’s roadmap promotes sustainable aquaculture intensification, better fisheries management, reduced food waste, climate adaptation strategies, and stronger governance.
The FAO Director-General also highlighted the vital role of family farming in ensuring global food security. Family farms constitute over 90% of farms globally, serving as the foundation of agrifood systems and contributing to rural development, poverty alleviation, and sustainable food production.
In addition to aquatic food systems, Qu stressed the importance of international collaboration, highlighting the Agreement on Port State Measures as a key tool in the fight against Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) fishing. He commended the commitment of 105 FAO member states to this agreement and encouraged G20 cooperation to further combat IUU fishing.