The prestigious journal JWAS has recently published a global review entitled “Perspectives on the contribution of aquaculture to the Sustainable Development Goals to improve human and planetary health”, led by Dr Max Troell and to which co-authors from numerous aquaculture institutions contribute. at a global level, including the Principal Investigators of the Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Dr. Doris Soto (Integrative Program) and Dr. Jorge Dresdner (Socioeconomic Sustainability).
The publication highlights that aquaculture with its diversity of species, systems and geographic distribution makes increasingly important contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)/Agenda 2030, and can do even better in the future. However, its important role for food security, nutrition, livelihoods, economies and cultures is not clearly visible in the Agenda 21 statement. This may partly reflect the level of development of aquaculture policies in comparison with its terrestrial counterpart; agriculture, and possibly also because aquaculture as a relevant sector has historically originated in a few key regions and countries. This review highlights the need for a better integration of aquaculture in the dialogues on the global food system considering its comparative advantages in terms of sustainability and its possibilities for improvement.
The review includes an analysis of the literature to understand how aquaculture relates to the specific indicators of the different SDGs. A conceptual framework is also developed to communicate the importance of the specific contexts in which the sector develops and how this conditions progress (or setbacks) towards the SDGs of different types of aquaculture. A selection of cases is presented to illustrate: (1) the diversity of the aquaculture sector and what role this diversity can play in contributing to the SDGs, (2) examples of methodologies to identify the contribution of aquaculture to the SDGs, and (3) ) “trade-offs” between different aquaculture systems to the achievement of the SDGs. For example, a comparative analysis of salmon farming in Chile, algae farming in Tanzania and Indonesia, fish farming in earthen ponds in Bangladesh, and oyster farming in Scandinavia and the USA is included, which makes it possible to identify SDGs where more progress has been made and those that require improvement.
The review ends by highlighting knowledge gaps and transformation pathways that will further strengthen the role of aquaculture in contributing to the SDGs.
Next, review the paper “Perspectives on aquaculture’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals for improved human and planetary health”.
