The WLE 2018 Annual Report > Highlights from 2018

Fish for nutrition
Too often, global reports on agriculture make marginal reference to fish and its contribution to livelihoods and the food and nutrition security of billions of people in the developing world. This year, we officially joined a coalition of 60 governments, influential individuals and organizations that have formed Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN), a global movement to end malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. Our goal as partners in SUN is to put fish—and the related nutrition research evidence we are gathering in developing countries—firmly on the global nutrition agenda.
To this end, we convened the Global Workshop on Nutrition-sensitive Fish Agri-Food Systems in Siem Reap at the end of December 2017 in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the European Union and the Royal Government of Cambodia. The event brought together major investors such as the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and over 150 participants from 20 countries to discuss the shift to food systems thinking and the important role of fish in securing better nutrition and health outcomes, particularly for women and children.
The gathering provided a platform to present evidence that fish is becoming the investment choice for reducing malnutrition, and that this needs to be better reflected in global policy discussions and development interventions.
People recognize that fish is an especially nutritious food—this is widely understood. What is less well known is how critical fish is to the diets of the poor in many countries where we work. Using fish more comprehensively can help achieve food security that is sustainable and highly effective in advancing our nutrition goals.Dr. Robert BertramChief Scientist for USAID's Bureau for Food Security
Our research on value chains and nutrition received a significant boost with the new USD 24.5 million grant from USAID to implement the Feed the Future Bangladesh Aquaculture and Nutrition Activity. The project uses a market systems approach to leverage co-investment with private sector actors for inclusive and sustainable aquaculture development. Aside from working with local communities to promote nutrition knowledge and consumption of healthier diets incorporating fish, the project aims to expand income and entrepreneurship opportunities for at least 400,000 men, women and young people.