The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United
Nations (FAO) welcomed the inclusion of fisheries and aquaculture and family
farming in this year's G20 priorities, emphasising their essential role in
global nutrition and livelihoods.
Speaking at the G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting
in Mato Grosso, Brazil, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu stressed the need for sustainable growth in the
fisheries and aquaculture sectors to meet rising global food demand and address
nutritional deficiencies, particularly in developing countries.
"The FAO Blue Transformation strategy aims to
ensure aquatic food systems continue feeding the world's growing
population," he said.
The G20 Agriculture Working Group Ministerial
Declaration, agreed upon this week, officially recognised FAO's Blue
Transformation Roadmap 2022-2030 as a key framework for achieving long-term
sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. The declaration also highlighted important FAO instruments, such as 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 percent of their average per capita animal protein intake, along with
critical bioavailable micronutrients. Aquaculture is also the world's
fastest-growing food production sector. Aquatic foods support around 600 million livelihoods,
and the total first stale value of the sector was a record USD 472 billion in
2022.
"FAO looks forward to working with G20 members in a Blue
Transformation and in the lead-up to the 2025 UN Oceans Conference," he
added.