Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 4 — Narrative / commentaryPeer-reviewed

Four ways blue foods can help achieve food system ambitions across nations

Beatrice Crona, Emmy Wassénius, Malin Jonell, J. Zachary Koehn, Rebecca Short, Michelle Tigchelaar, Tim M. Daw, Christopher D. Golden, Jessica A. Gephart, Edward H. Allison, Simon R. Bush, Ling Cao, William W. L. Cheung, Fabrice DeClerck, Jessica Fanzo, Stefan Gelcich, Avinash Kishore, Benjamin S. Halpern, Christina C. Hicks, James P. Leape, David C. Little, Fiorenza Micheli, Rosamond L. Naylor, Michael J. Phillips, Elizabeth R. Selig, Marco Springmann, U. Rashid Sumaila, Max Troell, Shakuntala H. Thilsted, Colette C. C. Wabnitz

Nature · 2023

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Summary

This policy-oriented assessment, drawing on the Blue Food Assessment, proposes four nation-specific policy objectives for blue foods: ensuring critical nutrient supplies, providing healthy terrestrial meat alternatives, reducing dietary environmental footprints, and safeguarding blue food contributions under climate change. The framework demonstrates that in African and South American nations, culturally relevant blue food consumption could address micronutrient deficiencies among vulnerable populations, whilst in global North nations, moderate seafood consumption could reduce cardiovascular disease and livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis identifies countries at high future risk requiring climate adaptation of blue food systems.

UK applicability

The framework may be partially applicable to UK policy; the UK, as a global North nation with elevated cardiovascular disease rates and ruminant meat consumption, could potentially benefit from the recommended shift towards low-impact seafood alternatives. However, the study's primary focus on nutritional deficiency reduction and cultural food relevance may be less salient for the UK context.

Key measures

Nutritional security outcomes (vitamin B12, omega-3 deficiency); environmental footprints (greenhouse gas emissions, land and water impacts); economic and livelihood contributions; cardiovascular disease risk reduction potential; climate vulnerability and adaptation needs by country

Outcomes reported

The study assessed nutritional, environmental, economic and justice dimensions of blue foods globally and translated findings into four policy objectives tailored to national contexts. It identified country-specific relevance of each policy objective and examined associated co-benefits and trade-offs at national and international scales.

Theme
Policy, governance & rights
Subject
Food & agricultural policy
Study type
Policy
Study design
Policy report
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Global
System type
Aquaculture
DOI
10.1038/s41586-023-05737-x
Catalogue ID
BFmor3ggd1-j1dmno

Topic tags

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