Aquaculture America 2024

February 18 - 21, 2024

San Antonio, Texas

FEED THE FUTURE INNOVATION LAB FOR FISH: SETTING THE TABLE FOR GLOBAL IMPACT

Mark  L. Lawrence,  Stephen R. Reichley, Gina Rico Mendez , Masey Smith, Kelly Stewart,  and Laura Zseleczky

 

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish

Mississippi State University Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security

Mississippi State, MS 39762 USA

lawrence@cvm.msstate.edu

 



The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to reduce poverty  and improve nutrition, food security, and livelihoods in partner  countries by supporting research on sustainable aquatic food systems. The Fish Innovation Lab is managed by the Mississippi State University Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security. It is one of 21 Feed the Future Innovation Labs, which  are  leveraging the expertise of U.S. universities and partner country research institutions to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges in agriculture and food security.

 From 2018-2023, the Fish Innovation Lab supported 24 activities focused on applied research and sustainability of aquaculture and fisheries, 15 of which were in  African countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia . The lab also had  eight  activities in Bangladesh and Cambodia, as well as one activity that focused  on Peru, the Philippines, Madagascar, and the Pacific Islands region. The Fish Innovation Lab’s program areas included improving productivity, mitigating risk, and improving human outcomes. Additionally, the Fish Innovation Lab ha d four  cross-cutting themes, which were incorporated into each funded activity and guided the lab’s work overall: mainstreaming gender equity and youth inclusion, advancing human and institutional capacity development, strengthening resilience, and advancing nutrition.

 The Mississippi State University Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security was awarded a five-year extension  in fall of 2023 to continue management of the Fish Innovation Lab to address global food security challenges through aquatic food systems. Target countries for the Fish Innovation Lab in 2023-2028 will be  Bangladesh,  Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia,  with  the  potential for work in other Feed the Future countries . T he Fish Innovation Lab has revised its program areas to  focus on  1) climate-smart aquatic system innovations, 2) nutrition and food systems, and 3) inclusive access to improved inputs .  The cross-cutting themes for all activities will be capacity development, gender  equity and  social  inclusion, and resilience.  Linking together U.S. universities and institutions with in-country  partner  universities and institutions is pivotal in fostering innovative solutions to the critical  issue of food insecurity.  The Fish Innovation Lab anticipates releasing a Request for  Proposals in 2024.

To learn more about the activities of the Fish Innovation Lab and for information on funding opportunities , visit our website at https://rb.gy/j17i6.