Global fish production is at a transformative juncture. The 2024 FAO State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) report highlights a groundbreaking milestone: aquaculture now surpasses capture fisheries in producing aquatic animals. In 2022, aquaculture produced 94.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals, representing 51% of the global total, while capture fisheries remained stable at 92.3 million tonnes. This shift reflects aquaculture’s growing importance in meeting the surging demand for fish amidst a rising global population and dwindling wild fish stocks.
Fish is a critical source of high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and micronutrients essential for human health.
Its role in combating food and nutrition insecurity cannot be overstated, especially as global per capita fish consumption continues to rise, from 9.1 kg in 1961 to 20.7 kg in 2022. Despite this progress, disparities exist. For example, Africa’s per capita fish consumption is projected to decline due to inadequate production to match population growth, exacerbating food insecurity challenges in vulnerable regions.
Fish Production, SDGs, and the Imperative of Blue Transformation
The alignment of aquaculture development with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is clear. SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) calls for eradicating hunger and malnutrition while promoting sustainable agricultural systems. Fish provides a unique opportunity to meet these goals by supplying essential nutrients to billions worldwide, particularly in food-insecure areas.
However, sustainability is key. Aquaculture’s expansion must prioritize environmental sustainability to maintain ecosystems health while boosting food production.
Integrated Agriculture-
Integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) systems offer a sustainable pathway to enhance food production, manage resources efficiently, and combat climate change impacts. In IAA systems, fish farming is combined with agricultural practices, such as rice cultivation, to optimize land and water use while reducing waste. This approach is particularly relevant for Nigeria, where agricultural productivity and food security are critical.
IAA systems provide numerous benefits that make them a sustainable approach to food production. The farming system significantly enhances overall productivity by utilizing resources designated for single crop production to instead produce two food commodities.
For example, in a rice-fish system, farmers who traditionally produce rice can also produce fish within the same rice field without reducing their expected rice yield.
Furthermore, IAA offers farmers an opportunity for income diversification, with profitability increasing by up to 200% compared to rice monocropping, if properly done. The triple benefits of increased yields, profitability, and food security remain consistent for farmers transitioning to the integrated system. Additionally, these systems foster climate resilience by improving water management and mitigating the impacts of climate change such as drought and flash floods. Beyond environmental benefits, IAA creates employment opportunities along the value chains that include seed and feed production, and supply. Furthermore, IAA promotes environmental sustainability by reducing the need for chemical fertilizer use, and conserving biodiversity, showcasing its potential as a holistic approach to sustainable agricultural and aquacultural development.
Nigeria, with its vast agricultural and water resources, is well-positioned to scale IAA systems to address its growing food demand. Expanding rice-fish farming, for instance, could enhance productivity, improve livelihoods, and reduce rural poverty. As global fish consumption grows, Nigeria can serve as a model for integrating aquaculture into traditional agriculture, offering lessons for other countries in the sub-Saharan African region.
Why the Government Must Act Now
Nigeria is ranked among the top countries with high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition. Integrated agriculture-aquaculture systems have been proven to enhance food availability and diversity. Fish, being a rich source of protein and micronutrients, can play a pivotal role in combating malnutrition, particularly among children and vulnerable groups.
The impacts of climate change such as erratic rainfall, flooding, and droughts are already disrupting agricultural activities across Nigeria. Integrated systems like rice-fish farming are more resilient to such shocks. For instance, these systems reduce methane emissions compared to separate rice monocropping and fish farm systems. It could also be developed to break the flow of water during flash floods, hence keeping the fish safe and acting as insurance against crop loss, while also providing farmers with dual income streams from rice and fish sales.
Nigeria’s overreliance on fish imports is unsustainable and drains valuable foreign exchange. By promoting aquaculture as part of an integrated system, the government can empower local farmers to produce high-quality fish domestically, reducing the need for imports and fostering food sovereignty.
Farmers who adopt integrated systems can earn from both crop and fish production, improving their economic stability. In regions where traditional farming has failed, these systems can revive rural economies.
In terms of global outlook, North America and the Caribbean countries could benefit from adapting IAA systems to increase fish production. Immense potential exists for the expansion of IAA either through integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems, the rice-fish system, livestock-fish Farming, horticulture-fish farming, agroforestry-aquaculture systems, aquaponics, biogas-fish farming systems, and fish-fruit Systems, to complement capture fisheries production in these regions. IAA systems can help address challenges such environmental sustainability, and the need for localized food systems. Innovations can be explored to enhance the benefits of integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA), particularly by integrating renewable energy sources such as solar power and biogas with aquaculture systems. Scaling up IAA practices can contribute to global food security while creating jobs and promoting innovations as levers for economic development.
To realize the full potential of aquaculture and integrated systems, targeted policies, capacity-building initiatives, and investment are essential. Promoting IAA systems in existing and new regions can address pressing global challenges, from hunger and malnutrition to unemployment and climate change. As the world’s population continues to grow, innovative solutions such as IAA will be vital in ensuring sustainable and equitable food production, ensuring sustainable and equitable food production, meeting the needs of both present and future generations.
