Blue, or aquatic, foods are fish, shellfish, aquatic plants, and algae caught or cultivated from freshwater and marine environments. These foods hold immense promise in supporting diets that are healthy, sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient. That’s a critical step to enable our food systems to achieve progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Aquatic Blue Foods Coalition (ABFC) was born from the recognition that sustainable and equitable food systems are vital for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Formed after the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 and officially launched at the UN Ocean Conference 2022, the Coalition aims to ensure that the diversity and the potential of blue foods are fully integrated into equitable solutions for global food and nutrition security, a resilient climate, and a thriving biodiversity.
Thus the objectives of the ABFC are to: (1) Raise the profile of blue foods through engagements with high-level decision-makers at national, regional, and international levels to advocate for the recognition and integration of blue foods’ potential in transformations towards food systems that deliver for both people and the planet (2) Mobilize support by connecting and working with multiple stakeholders to mobilize investment, technical capacity and partnerships for countries, or groups of countries, looking to integrate aquatic foods into their food systems policy; (3) Drive knowledge exchange and place-based action, fostering knowledge exchange between members and provide them with support to catalyze action in key regions and/or countries by helping them understand their blue food needs and possibilities, and matching them with funding and/or technical assistance.
The Aquatic Blue Foods Coalition (ABFC) has partnered with the AUDA-NEPAD, WAS and other partners in striving to achieve these objectives in Africa - and are embarking on knowledge exchange platforms with ultimate goal of raising the profile of blue foods.