A virtual learning session exploring positive actions that can advance seaweed innovations in addressing food and nutrition security, livelihoods and ocean health.

Date: Tuesday, 28 June 2022

Time: 08:00-09:30 (WEST / Lisbon, Portugal) / 15:00-16:30 (UTC+8 /Malaysia) 

Watch the event recording:

An important theme that emerged from the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 and the Glasgow COP 26 meeting is the importance of aquatic foods in the food systems transformation agenda, moving the global agenda toward Zero Hunger, and as nature-based solutions to address climate risks. Aquatic foods, an encompassing term to include diverse plants, animals and microorganisms originating from various aquatic resources, are consumed by up to 3 billion people globally, and provide livelihoods for up to 800 million people around the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Seaweed, a low-trophic and high-biomass aquatic food, is gaining recognition for its role to provide multiple micronutrients and essential fatty acids in diets, as well as an important carbon sequestration agent and carbon sink for the ocean. Seaweed features strongly in the diets of East and Southeast Asia, the Pacific and other coastal communities, and is gaining popularity worldwide. As the demand for seaweed grows, so are new production regions, including Bangladesh. Pilot projects have been conducted in coastal and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, with strong participation by women and youth in this novel industry.

This UN Ocean Conference Side Event co-hosted by WorldFish, Sylhet Agricultural University in Bangladesh, WWF International and Safe Seaweed Coalition, drew upon the knowledge and expertise of global, regional and local stakeholders to share their thoughts and seaweed innovations in addressing food and nutrition security, livelihoods and ocean health. Importantly, this session positioned positive actions that can advance seaweed accessibility and availability to more communities, especially the poor and vulnerable groups across the world.

 

Welcome remarks:

Mrityunjoy Kunda, Professor, Department of Aquatic Resource Management, Sylhet Agricultural University

 

Aquatic Food Systems and the Oceans: Synergies in food systems transformation:

Shakuntala Thilsted, Global Lead, Nutrition and Public Health, WorldFish & 2021 World Food Prize Laureate

 

Seaweed: A global perspective:

Vincent Doumeizel, Senior Advisor, Ocean, United Nations, Global Compact & Director, Food Programme, Lloyd's Register Foundation

 

Panel Discussion:

I Seaweed for food and nutrition

I Md Asaduzzaman, Associate Professor, Department of Marine Bioresource Science, Faculty of Fisheries
Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University

 

I Seaweed for livelihood

I Jakia Hasan, Senior Scientific Officer, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), Bangladesh

 

I Seaweed for climate resilience

I Jang K. Kim, Associate Professor, Department of Marine Science, Incheon National University, South Korea

 

I Seaweed for economy

I Artati Widiarti, Director General, Product Competitiveness, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), Republic of Indonesia

 

I Seaweed for culture 

I Lim Phaik Eem, Professor & Deputy Director, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya  

 

Closing Remarks:

Essam Yassin Mohammed, Director General (a.i.), WorldFish & Senior Director (Acting), Aquatic Food Systems, CGIAR

 

Moderator:

Gilly Llewellyn, Deputy Oceans Leader, WWF International

 

Follow WorldFish and the hashtag #aquaticfoods to check out past conversations on Twitter.