Policymakers, researchers, and investors gather in Johannesburg to explore sustainable urban aquaculture as a driver of nutrition, employment, and resilient city food systems.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Government of South Africa, convened the first global Inception Workshop on Urban Aquaculture Development, bringing together policymakers, researchers, investors, development partners, and municipal officials to advance sustainable urban and peri-urban aquaculture. The initiative aims to strengthen food security, improve nutrition, generate employment, and promote environmental sustainability in rapidly urbanizing regions.
FAO Representative to South Africa, Babagana Ahmadu, underscored the growing role of aquaculture in feeding expanding urban populations, describing the initiative as a “game-changer” for urban food systems transformation.
Speaking on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Acting DDG of Food Security and Agrarian Reform, Lebogang Botsheleng, highlighted rising food insecurity in urban areas, stressing the need for targeted interventions. South Africa reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable aquaculture as a dual solution for food security and local economic development.
In his keynote address, FAO Assistant Director-General Manuel Barange outlined long-term structural shifts shaping global food systems, including projections that over 80 percent of the world’s population will live in cities by 2100. He emphasized that urban agrifood systems, which connect production, distribution, consumption, employment, and health, offer key opportunities to transform how aquatic foods are produced and accessed.
Participants also highlighted pressures on urban food systems, including rapid urban growth, limitations of wild-capture fisheries, supply chains that fail to serve cities, and reliance on imports that expose urban populations to global shocks. These challenges underscore the need for innovative approaches, with urban aquaculture emerging as a promising solution to bring food production closer to consumers.
The workshop is expected to deliver a shared vision, pilot initiatives, and strengthened partnerships to scale sustainable solutions, in line with FAO’s Blue Transformation agenda.
Source:FAO