Aquaculture should play an important role in the dietary shift to mitigate emissions states the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as it initiates a global campaign aimed at bolstering food security and eliminating all forms of malnutrition.
“In a growing world, fisheries and aquaculture offer a sustainable food source,” the FAO said in a statement after unveiling the Global Roadmap for Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) without Breaching the 1.5°C Threshold at the recent United Nations Climate Conference COP28.
The roadmap identifies 120 actions and key milestones within ten domains, supported by evidence gathered by FAO over several years. These domains include clean energy, crops, fisheries and aquaculture, food loss and waste, forests and wetlands, healthy diets, livestock, soil and water, and data and inclusive policies.
“Aquatic food is a nutritional powerhouse, rich in protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins (like D), and vital minerals. Due to low GHG footprint, aquatic food should play an important role in the dietary shift to mitigate emissions. These industries support millions, providing income and jobs, particularly in coastal regions, bolstering local economies and communities,” said the FAO.
Among other things, it is calling on nations to improve productivity of aquaculture and foster guidance on good aquaculture practices (GAPs), improve technology adoption in aquaculture and improve policies for small-scale aquaculture.
Several countries have already begun expanding their aquaculture footprints to bolster food security and improve the economies of coastal communities, while others are looking to transition the industry.