Action to protect the ‘blue food’ sector: The One Planet Summit for the Ocean

Throughout human history, oceans have provided food and livelihoods for people on the planet. In more recent times, consumption of aquatic foods has grown at twice the rate of population growth and currently employs 10 percent of the world’s inhabitants along the fish value chain. However, despite the growing contribution of the ‘blue food’ sector throughout the past century, FAO estimates that as of 2020, between 720 and 811 million people still faced hunger. A range of challenges must be overcome before oceans can sustainably increase their contribution to future food security and livelihoods, while maintaining biodiversity and marine habitats. Such a shift will require the dynamic and targeted transformation of the planet’s aquatic food systems.

In line with FAO’s vision for agrifood system transformation and the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, FAO co-organized a workshop on ‘Ocean, the Provider in 2030’, as part of the One Planet Summit for the Ocean held in Brest, France from 9 to 11 February. The summit brought together world leaders, scientists, United Nations agencies, civil society and the private sector to engage in conversations about the challenges and opportunities facing the management of our oceans, and to provide recommendations in the run-up to the second UN Ocean Conference, due to take place in Lisbon from 27 June to 1 July.

In his opening statement, Co-Chair of the meeting and Director of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division Manuel Barange told the workshop that “Greater focus on aquatic foods was one of the identified priorities under the United Nations Food Systems Summit, convened by the United Nations Secretary-General last year”.

Following opening messages from French Minister for Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili, German Federal Minister for Environment Steffi Lemke and Mauritanian Minister for Fishery and Economy Dy Ould Zein, expert discussions were held under two themes: ‘The challenge of sustainability’ and ‘Innovation and the future ahead’. During the discussions, French Secretary of State for Biodiversity Bérangère Abba referred to the ocean as our life insurance, observing that  “the ocean challenges and calls for all of us to mobilize our actions internationally,”.

A similar call to action was made by the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Fisheries Pierre Karleskind. He noted that “we cannot manage our oceans as we did in the last 50 years”. “Today, the management of fisheries and aquaculture requires that we take into account ecosystem management,” he added. World Food Prize Laureate Shakuntala Thilsted, from WorldFish, explained that aquatic foods can be considered as superfoods – not just fish, but also other foods such as plants.

The benefits of harvesting and farming seaweeds and seafood such as bivalves was highlighted during the discussions. Both can significantly contribute to healthy diets and provide solutions to environmental challenges, such as climate change.

You can read more about FAO’s work on fisheries and aquaculture here.

You can read more about the One Planet Summit for the Ocean here.