The Role of ‘Blue Foods’ for a Sustainable Future

In a recently published paper in the journal Global Food Security, a group of researchers confirmed what other scientists had previously pointed out. The study outlines a set of imperative measures to ensure that foods from marine and freshwater ecosystems, also known as blue foods, serve as a sustainable source of nutrients for a constantly growing global population in the future.

"Blue foods play a central role in food and nutrition security for billions of people and may become even more important as the world seeks to create just food systems that support the health of people and the planet," asserted the team in their paper.

This is firstly because aquatic-based foods are incredibly diverse. Over 2,500 species of animals, plants, and algae are part of the daily human diet, providing vital micronutrients to prevent issues such as maternal and infant mortality, growth problems, and cognitive deficits during early development.

Furthermore, they represent a healthier source of protein and lean fats compared to those from terrestrial livestock, helping to reduce the risk of obesity and other non-communicable diseases.

In fact, this type of food also appears to be a real and ecologically viable alternative for the environment: “Blue foods often have smaller environmental footprints than many other animal-source foods. However, across a diverse sector, the details matter: greenhouse gas emissions and wildlife and biodiversity impacts can be quite high for some blue food systems, such as bottom trawling or aquaculture systems that are poorly sited or poorly managed.”

Despite their numerous benefits, blue foods continue to be largely overlooked in the design of sustainable and resilient food systems worldwide, even though experts from all corners of the globe have advocated for the need to diversify these systems.

For Stefan Gelcich, researcher at the Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES, as per its spanish acronym) and one of the authors of the study, this is because "blue foods have been viewed from an economic perspective as natural resources, fisheries, or aquaculture." Consequently, the focus has been primarily on their productive potential and their role in GDP or in exports. "They need to be considered as essential elements of sustainable and equitable food systems." 

However, to achieve this shift in perspective, decision-makers must first overcome multiple challenges. According to the researchers: "Wild capture fisheries, both marine and freshwater, need to be better valued, managed, and rebuilt as many fish stocks have become severely depleted and some technologies have high environmental footprints."

In addition to these threats, environmental stressors, listed in the Lisbon Declaration, further exacerbate the challenges. There is also economic, ethnic, and gender inequality within these food systems, as well as a lack of transparency in monitoring a significant portion of the trade and distribution of these foods. This hinders both authorities and consumers from detecting the environmental impacts and human rights violations committed by suppliers.

Based on a report they presented in 2021 as part of an international initiative to assess the current state of the world's oceans, the research team also outlines in the current paper some of the most urgent policies to be implemented by governments and decision-makers responsible for shaping and managing food production and distribution systems.

“The demand for seafood has increased, and it is projected to continue to do so," explained Gelcich, also a professor at UC Chile and director of the Coastal Socio-Ecological Millennium Institute (SECOS, as per its spanish acronym). "The challenge is to move towards sustainable fishing by supporting the artisanal fishing sector and aiming for governance systems that incorporate a vision where the socio-ecological dimensions of food systems play a significant role."

In the paper, Gelcich and the rest of the authors define ‘three central imperatives’ along which aquatic food policies at the national or global level should be oriented:

1. “the integration of blue foods into decision-making about food system policies, programs, and investments, to enable effective management of production, consumption, and trade [DS1];
2. understanding, protecting, and developing the potential of blue foods for ending malnutrition and fostering production of accessible, affordable nutritious foods; and
3. supporting the central role of small-scale actors, with governance and finance that are responsive to their diverse needs, circumstances, and opportunities.”

In the paper, the authors detail the different dimensions of these imperatives, indicating the problems associated with each of them and the type of policies aimed at their correct attention and solution.

The Case of Chile

What about Chile and its 6,435 kilometers of coastline?

Gelcich emphasizes that although the sea holds a central position in our country's life and future, Chile's situation in the global context is not significantly different from that of many other regions worldwide.

"In Chile, the situation is similar. We are among the top 10 countries in terms of seafood production, but we have primarily understood them as economic resources. Recognizing fishing and aquaculture as a food system is important to move towards a more equitable distribution of the economic, social, and nutritional benefits that these foods provide.”

Indeed, everything is pointing towards this understanding.

In another meeting of world leaders held in June, the 2022 Summit of the Americas, Chile spearheaded the creation of the “Coalition for the Protection of the Ocean in the Americas”, comprised of eight countries in the region (Canada, USA, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Peru, and Chile). The coalition aims to foster collaboration, cooperation, and political coordination regarding Marine Protected Areas and ocean conservation.

Meanwhile, in the Lisbon Declaration, the signatory heads of state committed more than US$1 billion for the creation, expansion, and management of marine protected areas and ocean conservation.

Hopefully, some of these efforts will also be aimed at securing the potential of these oceans to feed us in a healthy, safe, and sustainable manner.