September 17, 2024

FAO welcomes G20 focus on fisheries, aquaculture

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has expressed its support for the inclusion of fisheries, aquaculture, and family farming in the G20 priorities this year, highlighting their crucial roles in global nutrition and livelihoods, Business Standard reported.

At the G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting in Mato Grosso, Brazil, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu underscored the importance of sustainable growth in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. He noted that such growth is necessary to meet the increasing global demand for food and to address nutritional deficiencies, particularly in developing countries.

"The FAO Blue Transformation strategy aims to ensure that aquatic food systems continue to feed the world's growing population," QU Dongyu stated.

The G20 Agriculture Working Group Ministerial Declaration, which was adopted this week, officially recognised FAO's Blue Transformation Roadmap 2022-2030. This framework is seen as key to achieving long-term sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. The declaration also acknowledged several FAO tools, including the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture, the Guidelines for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, and the Agreement on Port State Measures.

Aquatic foods currently provide more than 3.3 billion people with at least 20% of their average per capita animal protein intake, in addition to essential bioavailable micronutrients. Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production sector globally and supports approximately 600 million livelihoods. The sector's total first sale value reached a record US$472 billion in 2022.

-      Business Standard