Abstract
The United Nation’s 2030 development agenda adopted in 2015 outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the organization has continued to put food security in the center of its vocalization. Aquaculture is currently the fastest-growing food production sector globally and a sustainable option for attaining food security. Food as a basic necessity for man’s survival is always a timely issue. Hence, owing to aquaculture’s unique role, it is expected that the demand for aquatic products (especially seafood) will continue to increase due to geometric population growth. Many seafood products are among the critical protein sources in the world. This is partly because they have micronutrients and essential fatty acids that are not present in land-based protein sources. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, shellfish is one of the main cultured aquaculture groups in the world. Hence, the development of shellfish aquaculture has an important role in sustainable food supply and food security. In this article, an overview of the current and projected contributions of shellfish aquaculture to global food security is presented. Apparently, shellfish aquaculture in the next few decades will have to be intensified to bridge the gap between demand and supply in a cost-effective manner. Also, food waste would have to be reduced and natural resources should be used more efficiently to minimize the negative impacts on aquaculture on the environment.
Highlights
AQUACULTURE INDUSTRYPer the United Nations’ agenda for the 2030 sustainable development goal, the relationship between food production and population growth is a very critical issue of discussion
Shellfish Aquaculture for Future Food of publications recorded in the Web of Science database
This paper focuses on the potential contribution of shellfish to global food production, supplies, and food security in the years ahead
Summary
Per the United Nations’ agenda for the 2030 sustainable development goal, the relationship between food production and population growth is a very critical issue of discussion. It was estimated some decades ago that a large percentage of the food consumed by man would originate from the sea (Rothschild, 1981) As it stands currently, aquaculture accounts for about half of the world’s fish supply, and it is projected to grow even further, becoming a crucial part of high-quality protein supply for the global population (Tacon, 2020). Most of the shellfish species on the FAO list are marinebased and constitute more than half of the total fish group (52.2%) (Figure 2A) This emphasizes the importance of shellfish as a potential contributor to global future food production, originating from the saltwater ecosystem. The indicators that qualify shellfish as potential future food candidates are related to their production and consumption characteristics Based on those indicators, there are still a few issues and problems related to shellfish aquaculture that need to be resolved. The application of other green farming techniques in the production of shellfish is an area of future research that must be exploited in the quest of realizing the future food potential of the sector
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