EU agencies promote Aquaculture to fight against hunger in poor countries


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An international initiative to create awareness on the role of aquaculture in food security in poor countries has been launched; the program will bring together a global alliance of development agencies, governments and universities to help low-income food-deficit countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

This program will have as aim to develop sustainable policies to improving the livelihoods of millions of poor people in the world. In order to support this project the the European Union (EU) is offering one million Euros for the three years project. According to UN agency in a statement on Monday October 1st, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in partnership with a global alliance of 20 developmental agencies, governments and universities is in charged of this project. It has been noticed that little is known about aquaculture and its importance on food, nutrition security and its improvement on poverty in developing countries even though it is known in fighting hunger.

Due to the population growth project, there is an increasing demand for fish products with stable production of capture fisheries; aquaculture will need to expand to meet the future demand for fish. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which helps in the development of the heart and brain in healthy people, and those who have – cardiovascular disease. Nearly 50 percent of the fish that we eat now comes from aquaculture and fish is the primary source of protein for 17 percent of the world’s population – nearly 25 percent in low-income food-deficit countries consume it.

The new partnership represents the world’s regions where aquaculture plays a major role and supports the livelihoods of millions of small-scale fish farmers and will also include key institutions with a strong expertise in research, development project implementation and dissemination. The project (‘Aquaculture for Food Security, Poverty Alleviation and Nutrition – AFSPAN’) will therefore develop new ways to measure the contribution of aquaculture with better tools and more systematic and quantitative assessments.

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