Small fish and food security: towards innovative integration of fish in African food systems to improve nutrition

Abstract

Fisheries currently support 200 million Africans, and the unique nutrient content of fish is significant for combating the triple burden of hunger, micronutrient deficiencies and non-communicable diseases. Globally around 2 billion people are suffering from “hidden hunger”, i.e. a vitamin and mineral deficiency. Despite this, fish is strikingly missing from strategies to improve food security among disadvantaged groups. Our multidisciplinary research consortium SmallFishFood provides innovative rethinking of the food security discourse by focusing on the nutritional value of small fish (e.g. sardines and small indigenous species). Small fish are ubiquitous in all aquatic environments from large marine ecosystems to seasonal ponds, as well as in market places and low-income household diets, but their significance is underrated and little understood as they are consumed locally and often go unrecorded in catch statistics. Catching small fish, which are simply sun-dried and consumed whole, is the most high-yielding, eco-friendly, low CO2-emission, affordable and nourishing way of utilizing aquatic resources. However, a range of social, technical, economic and legal barriers - such as outdated fisheries legislation, food safety challenges in processing and marketing, and the practice of reducing to fishmeal and oil for use in animal feed (including aquaculture) - inhibit the utilization of small fish for improved nutrition in low-income populations. This paper presents a value chain approach to nutritional value maximization through direct consumption of small fish. Presenting findings from recent research in fish markets in Ghana, the study focuses on socio-economic, infrastructural and institutional factors influencing the availability of high quality small fish for low-income populations, and how new technologies and strategies for enhancing the products’ shelf life can contribute to improved food safety and nutrition. The study recommends more research on fish quality and health risks, and prioritizing the utilization of fish for human consumption rather than as animal/fish feed