FAO and Michigan State University strengthen efforts to advance the development and dissemination of knowledge, data and technologies on sustainable aquatic foods, for nutrition security, livelihoods and trade


©Emmanuela D’Antoni, “Inland Fisheries”, FAO

14/03/2022 - 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Michigan State University, USA (MSU) strengthen efforts to advance the development and dissemination of knowledge, data and technologies through a variety of capacity development activities, related to ecosystem restoration and its links to sustainable food systems for improving food security and livelihoods.

FAO and MSU will work together through September 2025, contributing to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and FAO’s Four Betters; better production, better nutrition, better environment and better lives by:

  • Creating technical capacity and expertise through knowledge and information exchanges in developing, testing and adaptation of sustainable models on aquaculture production, value addition to the dry fish products and marketing,
  • Promote understanding of the food and nutrition security contributions of aquatic ecosystems, with particular attention to the linkages between ecosystem restoration and small-scale fisheries food systems in jointly sustaining and enhancing those contributions;
  • Assessing the positive and negative effects of non-native species on ecosystem services of aquatic ecosystems; and
  • Expanding and updating information on the impacts of non-native species in fisheries and aquaculture.

The FAO-MSU collaboration, first established in 2015, has been contributing to scientific expertise and legal frameworks to promote small-scale fisheries, including the convening of the first Global Conference on Inland Fisheries, which resulted in the  development and publication ofFreshwater, Fish and the Future: Proceedings of the Global Cross-Sectoral Conferenceand  The Rome Declaration: Ten Steps to Responsible Inland Fisheries. It is also contributing to the development of future globally-thinking fisheries professionals through the establishment of the Robin Welcomme Visiting Scholar program in FAO, an internship program advancing learning opportunities on global inland fisheries and aquatic ecosystems through the development of online and distance learning courses and lectures.

With mutual goals established in partnership, FAO and MSU are enhancing knowledge and recognition of the unique benefits of aquatic foods for food and nutrition security, livelihoods, trade, and as the source of the social values that gel many societies together. Blue Transformation is needed to acknowledge successes while facing head on the sector’s sustainability challenges.

The cooperation is now contributing to United Nations’ initiatives including the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, launched on 5 June 2021 which “aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems,” including lakes, rivers and wetlands, and the 2022 International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculturewhich calls for actions to address increasing challenges from climate change, overfishing and illegal unreported and unregulated fishing.

The advancement of science, policy and practice of aquatic ecosystem restoration and responsible fisheries practices are crucial for billions of people in achieving food security and nutrition, sustainable livelihoods, and protecting the environment as envisioned in the 2030 Sustainable Agenda.

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