Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish (Fish Innovation Lab) aims to reduce poverty and improve nutrition, food security, and livelihoods in developing countries by supporting the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture systems.
Fish are a nutrient-rich and highly traded food commodity. As such, they are a unique global resource that offers opportunity to accomplish the goals of sustainable and equitable agriculture-led economic growth, strengthened resilience in people and systems, and improved nutrition—particularly for women and children. In the developing world, more than 2.6 billion people depend on aquaculture products and captured fish for more than 20% of their total animal protein — and in some countries over 50% of animal protein intake.
To help meet the growing demand for food and quality animal source protein, reduce potential conflicts over natural resources, and ensure equitable access to fish in developing countries, the Fish Innovation Lab supports and links research partners around the globe to identify, develop, and scale up promising methodologies and technologies for local fish farming systems, and to intensify and diversify major production systems where the poor and undernourished are concentrated.
Part of a network of Feed the Future innovation labs, the Fish Innovation Lab leverages the expertise of U.S. universities and developing-country research institutions to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges in agriculture and food security. Mississippi State University is the program’s management entity. The University of Rhode Island, Texas State University, Washington University in St. Louis, and RTI International serve as management partners.
Current research activities are being implemented in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, the Pacific Islands, Peru, the Philippines, and Zambia, representing a $15 million portfolio of work.
