Integrating blue foods into national climate strategies

Blue or aquatic foods – foods that are wild-caught or farmed from oceans, rivers, and lakes – are increasingly recognised as a priority for climate action, yet they are often overlooked in climate discussions and underfunded in mitigation and adaptation financing. Policymakers have an opportunity to address climate impacts on blue food systems and leverage the fisheries and aquaculture sectors for climate adaptation, mitigation, and emissions reduction.

New guidelines, produced by the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, WorldFish, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, CARE, and the Environmental Defense Fund, share opportunities for governments to incorporate blue foods in nationally determined contributions and other climate strategies.