G7: Boosting aquatic foods’ role in ending hunger and poverty

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently underlined the need for more investment in a Blue  Transportation enabling aquatic foods to play a greater role in ending global hunger and poverty.

The call came as FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero presented the findings of a key “FAO report on fisheries and aquaculture” to agriculture ministers from the G7 countries on September 28, 2024.

The flagship State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2024 report, released in June this year, found that world fisheries and aquaculture production has hit a new high, with aquaculture production of aquatic animals surpassing capture fisheries for the first time.

But among the issues Torero highlighted was that just to ensure that the consumption of aquatic animal foods in 2050 is maintained at current levels, given that the world’s population is projected to increase to 9.7 billion by then,  the global supply would require a 22 percent rise.

Also, consumption rates and future population growth differs between regions. In Africa, for example, a 74 percent increase in aquatic food supply would be needed to keep up with current per capita consumption rates. Bringing Africa consumption rates to today’s global average of 20.7 kg per person in 2050, would require a 285 percent growth in aquatic animal provision. 

See original story: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/g7–boosting-aquatic-foods–role-in-ending-hunger-and-poverty/en