Blue Foods
Aquatic foods, not to be confused with blue foods referring to blue fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries and eggplants, are known for their antioxidant properties. These foods include fish, invertebrates, algae and aquatic plants[1] caught (known as wild-catch) or cultured in freshwater and marine ecosystems (known as aquaculture or fish farming).[2]
These foods are highly diverse, comprising over 2500 species of marine and freshwater animals, plants, and algae found in human diets, and are generally rich in protein and micronutrients.[3] The ecosystems involved in harvesting blue foods range from large-scale ocean-going fishing trawlers to artisanal fishermen, from salmon fish-farming in Northern Europe or South America to tilapia farming in inland lakes and ponds in Asia and Africa.[4] These foods represent an important part of the human diet, providing nearly 40% of the world’s population,[5] with much of their protein intake,[6] and have been identified by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) as a key resource of sustainable protein-rich food.
Economic significance
Blue foods play a central role in food security, as well as providing livelihoods, for many millions of people. Total fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record 214 million tonnes in 2020, with an International trade estimated as US$151 billion, with demand expected to double by 2050, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2022 report on fisheries, which under the title of ‘Blue Transformation’ presents comprehensive evidence of the growing role of fisheries and aquaculture in providing food, nutrition and employment,[7] It is estimated that 58.5 million people were directly employed in the Primary sector of the economy, but if subsistence and secondary sector workers, and their dependents, are included, a further 600 million livelihoods, or in total over 8% of the World Population[8] depend at least partially on fisheries and aquaculture. Blue Foods are a fast-growing food source, with 20.2kg per capita being consumed (excluding algae) over double the 1960s’ average of 9.9kg.
Nutritional benefits
These foods represent an important part of the human diet, providing about 3.1 billion people, nearly 40% of the world’s 7.8b population[5], with almost 20% of their average daily animal protein intake and providing the only readily available dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids for direct human consumption [6] Albert G. J. Tacon & Marc Metian (2017): Food Matters: Fish, Income, and Food Supply—A Comparative Analysis, Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, DOI: 10.1080/23308249.2017.1328659 They are also rich in nutrients such as zinc, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and omega-3s.[9]
Role in Sustainable development
Blue Foods, as such a rich source of protein and micronutrients, have been identified by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) as a key resource in its proclaimed mission leading international efforts to defeat hunger. During the World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Goals Impact Summit in September 2021,[10] Blue Foods was identified as a significant initiative compatible with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for alleviating hunger and malnutrition.[11] Analysis by The Economist[12] indicates that a move from land-based proteins, particularly meat, to aquatic proteins provided by blue foods, could help mitigate the effects of climate change, and could potentially provide a large proportion of sustainable nutrition [13] for the World Population projected to approach 10 billion people by 2050.[14]
The bulk of this increase in Blue Foods is expected to come from aquaculture, which by 2020 nearly equalled 50% of the global seafood supply, since there is a natural limit to wild fisheries, especially with targeted reforms to end overfishing and illegal fishing.[15]
Associated organisations
Several organisations are associated with blue foods, as defined at the World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Goals Impact Summit, including The Blue Food Assessment, a consortium of over 100 distinguished researchers from more than 25 international institutions and the Blue Food Partnership, led by Friends of Ocean Action, a platform of the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the World Resources Institute,[16] comprising international members from several governments, non-governmental agencies and universities.
Concept origins
Blue Foods can also be regarded as a spin-off from the earlier concept of the Blue economy, generally defined as a sustainable development approach to coastal resources. According to the World Bank,[17] the Blue economy includes a wide range of economic sectors, from the more conventional food industries such as fisheries and aquaculture, to maritime transport, coastal, marine and maritime tourism, even to more emergent activities such as coastal Renewable energy, marine ecosystem services (i.e. blue carbon), seabed mining, and Bioprospecting. The term ‘Blue Foods’ is also used in the health food sector to denote both berries and vegetables that have a healthy anti-oxidant effect in the human diet, such as blueberries, plums and aubergines or eggplants[18][19] leading to potential confusion between these and aquatic foods.
Controversies, risks and public perception
Several controversies are associated with both wild catch and aquaculture. Overfishing and Illegal fishing by large foreign fishing fleets are estimated to amount to as much as 25% of wild catch total across the world.[20] This has led to widespread conflicts and strife, such as the decimation of coastal fisheries off the Coastline of Somalia by large foreign fleets that led to piracy by former artisanal Somali fishermen deprived of their livelihoods, or clashes off the West coast of Africa and Indonesia.[21] Consumption of protein- and vitamin-rich fish, especially oily fish, is recommended by most dieticians. However, mercury can also be associated with fish consumption, mainly of long-lived species such as shark and swordfish, with pregnant mothers needing to avoid their consumption.[22] Criticisms of Aquaculture range from pollution of lakes and coastal shores,[23] contaminating wild salmon with sea lice [24], associated with overcrowded captive fish stocks, harm to cetaceans, such as dolphins and whales, caused by controversial sonic devices deterring predatory seals.[25][26][27]
Some commercial organisations have associated themselves with Blue Foods in order to improve their image without taking meaningful action, which has become known as bluewashing, similar to the concept of greenwashing.[28]
References
- ↑ Tigchelaar, Michelle; Leape, Jim; Micheli, Fiorenza; Allison, Edward H.; Basurto, Xavier; Bennett, Abigail; Bush, Simon R.; Cao, Ling; Cheung, William W. L.; Crona, Beatrice; DeClerck, Fabrice; Fanzo, Jessica; Gelcich, Stefan; Gephart, Jessica A.; Golden, Christopher D. (2022-06-01). "The vital roles of blue foods in the global food system". Global Food Security. 33: 100637. doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2022.100637. ISSN 2211-9124.
- ↑ https://sc-fss2021.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/FSS_Brief_Blue_Economy_MT.pdf
- ↑ "Building Blue Food Futures for People and the Planet - The Report of the Blue Food Assessment | Knowledge for policy". knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ↑ Tigchelaar, Michelle; Leape, Jim; Micheli, Fiorenza; Allison, Edward H.; Basurto, Xavier; Bennett, Abigail; Bush, Simon R.; Cao, Ling; Cheung, William W. L.; Crona, Beatrice; DeClerck, Fabrice; Fanzo, Jessica; Gelcich, Stefan; Gephart, Jessica A.; Golden, Christopher D. (2022-06-01). "The vital roles of blue foods in the global food system". Global Food Security. 33: 100637. doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2022.100637. ISSN 2211-9124.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2022). World Population Prospects 2022: Summary of Results. UN DESA/POP/2022/TR/NO. 3.
- ↑ https://www.fao.org/3/cc0461en/cc0461en.pdf
- ↑ https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/wpp2022_summary_of_results.pdf
- ↑ Golden, Christopher D.; Koehn, J. Zachary; Shepon, Alon; Passarelli, Simone; Free, Christopher M.; Viana, Daniel F.; Matthey, Holger; Eurich, Jacob G.; Gephart, Jessica A.; Fluet-Chouinard, Etienne; Nyboer, Elizabeth A.; Lynch, Abigail J.; Kjellevold, Marian; Bromage, Sabri; Charlebois, Pierre (October 2021). "Aquatic foods to nourish nations". Nature. 598 (7880): 315–320. doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03917-1. ISSN 1476-4687.
- ↑ friends-of-ocean-action-launches-initiatives-to-scale-blue-foods-and-boost-ocean-health
- ↑ https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development- goals
- ↑ https://impact.economist.com/projects/foodsustainability/blogs/acknowledging-blue-foods-as-key-to-the-global-food-puzzle/
- ↑ https://bluefood.earth/stories/better-choices-for-blue-foods-highlights-from-the-u-n-ocean-conference/
- ↑ https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/world-population-prospects-2019.html#:~:text=News-,Growing%20at%20a%20slower%20pace%2C%20world%20population%20is%20expected%20to,nearly%2011%20billion%20around%202100
- ↑ #author.fullName}. "Global demand for fish expected to almost double by 2050". New Scientist. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ↑ "Friends of Ocean Action launches initiatives to scale blue foods and boost ocean health". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ↑ https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2017/06/06/blue-economy
- ↑ "7 Delicious Blue Fruits with Powerful Health Benefits". Healthline. 2019-07-31. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ↑ https://www.organicauthority.com/energetic-health/if-you-want-to-live-longer-eat-foods-that-are-this-color
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/02/at-least-6-percent-global-fishing-likely-as-ships-turn-off-tracking-devices-study
- ↑ https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/fighting-over-illegal-fishing-lead-to-armed-conflict-deaths/6514917.html#:~:text=Illegal%20fishing%20and%20overfishing%20are,for%20billions%20of%20people%20worldwide.
- ↑ "Mercury in fish". www.foodstandards.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ↑ Maurice, Patricia, ed. (2019-12-02). Encyclopedia of Water: Science, Technology, and Society (1 ed.). Wiley. doi:10.1002/9781119300762.wsts0101. ISBN 978-1-119-30075-5. Search this book on
- ↑ https://www.newscientist.com/article/2278541-pesticide-resistant-blood-sucking-lice-threaten-wild-and-farmed-fish/
- ↑ "Anglers challenge new research that claims salmon farms are not harming wild fish". Countryfile.com. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ↑ "Burgeoning salmon farming industry sparks controversy over pollution and sustainability". PBS NewsHour. 2022-08-25. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ↑ says, Cosh (2020-06-17). "Seal scarers used by salmon farms branded 'sonic torture'". theferret.scot. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ↑ McClimon, Timothy J. "Bluewashing Joins Greenwashing As The New Corporate Whitewashing". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
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