The recent UN Summit of the Future highlighted the urgent need to address the growing global population’s nutritional needs while protecting the environment. The increasing number of hungry people, as well as the pressure on food systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has emphasized the importance of sustainably meeting future global nutritional needs.
A key solution lies in fish and other aquatic foods, which have a lower environmental impact than terrestrial animal-sourced foods while providing essential nutrients. However, despite the significant contribution aquatic foods already make to global nutrition, protecting and maintaining fish stocks and aquatic ecosystems require more investment and innovation.
Addressing the financing gap in research and development for sustainable aquatic food production is crucial for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Organizations like WorldFish are working to increase access to fish and aquatic foods in countries like East Timor and India, demonstrating the positive impact on nutrition and health, especially among vulnerable groups.
Innovations in selective breeding, disease management, and sustainable production techniques have shown promising results in increasing aquatic food production while also reducing emissions. Scaling up these innovations globally could lead to significant gains in food and nutrition security, as well as improved health, development, livelihoods, and equality.
Embracing fish and aquatic foods as the cornerstone of the food systems of the future is essential for meeting the nutritional needs of the global population in a sustainable and climate-resilient manner. The time to act is now to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for all.
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