Committee on World Food Security (CFS54)

Time for aquatic blue food to get on the CFS agenda again

O Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is the foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform in the field of food security and nutrition. ​CFS is jointly supported by the three Rome-based Agencies (RBAs): the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP). Using a multi-stakeholder and inclusive approach, CFS develops policy guidance on a wide range of food security and nutrition topics, starting from scientific and evidence-based reports produced by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN).​ 

In 2014 the HLPE report focused for the first time on fisheries and aquaculture and CFS members approved related policy recommendations. 

But aquatic blue food risks invisibility again! It was absent in the documents tabled for the 54^th CFS Plenary Session in October 2026 and only few country delegations brought it up in their statements, in particular Iceland and Norway. But: delegates approved the plan to start a so-called CFS policy convergence process to develop voluntary policy guidance on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition in October 2027. The year long process will consist in negotiations among member states and stakeholders, based on evidence from a new HLPE report on “Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition” that will be presented at the 55th Plenary Session of CFS in October 2027. The HLPE report aims to provide a synthesis of available evidence and action-oriented policy recommendations to strengthen the contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to food security and nutrition and to support more sustainable, resilient, equitable and nutrition-sensitive aquatic food systems contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The CFS also featured a side event on “Making a Difference with Aquatic Foods: From Resilient Production to Nutritious School Meals”. It explored how aquatic food systems can contribute to healthy diets, food security and nutrition through stronger connections between production, value chains, markets and public procurement. The event brought together country experiences and policy, development and scientific perspectives to examine how promising initiatives can become sustainable, scalable programmes. It was lead by FAO and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH), with support from Honduras, Malawi, WorldFish, Aquatic Blue Food Coalition, Stanford University Center for Ocean Solutions, The Rockefeller Foundation, WFF Youth constituency on Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Global Action Network for Sustainable Food From the Oceans and Inland Water Bodies for Food Security and Nutrition. 

Moderated by Nicole Franz of Stanford University’s Center for Ocean Solutions and member of the Aquatic Blue Food Coalition Secretariat, the session emphasized that increasing production alone is insufficient to improve nutrition. Aquatic foods must reach consumers through safe and affordable handling and processing. It also stressed the importance of locally procured school meals, which aim to ensure a fair distribution of benefits to small-scale aquatic food producers.

Opening remarks by Ambassador Andreas von Brandt, Germany’s Permanent Representative to the Rome-based United Nations agencies, introduced the importance of coordinated action for resilient and inclusive food systems.

Country examples illustrated opportunities to connect aquatic foods with school meals. Amenye Mulwafu-Banda of FAO Malawi presented an initiative integrating fish powder into school feeding to improve children’s nutrition and dietary diversity. Alicia Medina of FAO’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean introduced experiences from Bolivia, Belize and Honduras, including tilapia farmers supplying schools in Honduras. These examples demonstrated pathways linking local producers and processors with institutional markets and nutritious meals.

The expert panel brought together Henrice Stoebesand of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Daniela Godoy of FAO’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Michelle Tigchelaar of WorldFish and lead of the CFS HLPE report on fisheries and aquaculture. Its central question concerned the conditions needed for resilient aquatic food systems to supply school meals and other public procurement programmes. Discussion priorities included overcoming barriers across the value chain and identifying concrete actions to maintain access to nutritious foods during climate shocks, including El Niño.

Four priorities structured the moderator’s synthesis. First, resilient and sustainable production requires enabling policies and sustained investment. Second, predictable procurement and effective value chains are essential to connect producers with schools and consumers, without discriminating against local small-scale producers. Third, food safety requirements must protect consumers while remaining attainable for small-scale producers and processors. Fourth, inclusive partnerships must place small-scale producers, including women and young people, at the centre of implementation. Procurement arrangements should reflect the practical challenges these groups face.

The closing segment featured Anita Utheim Iversen of Norway’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Fisheries, who heads the Global Action Network on Sustainable Food from the Oceans and Inland Waters for Food Security and Nutrition. The event’s concluding message linked nutritious diets and stronger livelihoods to coordinated action across institutions and sectors. It identified the CFS work plan for 2027–2028 as an opportunity to develop recommendations informed by science and country experience. Overall, the event positioned school meal programmes as a practical entry point for making environmentally and socially sustainable aquatic foods more accessible, while strengthening the participation of small-scale producers in food systems. Its emphasis was on connecting implementation, investment and policy so that nutrition objectives translate into reliable demand, viable supply and benefits for communities and children.