Market and Value Chains
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/4
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- The information sheets contain information about how to handle and care for fish as a fisher, fish vendor or customer, to make sure that fish stays fresh, healthy and safe for human consumption. They are structured according to four rules: care, cool, clean, and quick. The information sheet for customers also includes a guide for how to choose the freshest fish.
- The purpose of this handbook is to introduce improved practices that help fishers, processors, and traders maximize the value of the fish they catch, process, and sell, while also reducing post-harvest losses. It supports the national food safety standards related to fishery products and serves as a practical guide for trainers in rural fishing communities. By promoting the adoption of these standards among fishers, processors, traders and fish farmers, this handbook aims to enhance the production, consumption and trade of high-quality seafood in coastal and rural communities throughout Solomon Islands.
- Fish seed traders play a vital role in enhancing fish production and supporting the rapid expansion of aquaculture by supplying healthy, high-quality seed and providing technical advice to farmers. This guideline presents practical recommendations for identifying good-quality seed, conditioning and safe transportation to reduce mortality, and improving handling practices. It also emphasizes the advisory role of seed traders in pond preparation, appropriate stocking density, feeding, water quality management, and harvesting. Based on the principle that quality seed combined with proper management leads to successful fish farming, these guidelines aim to improve productivity, farmer incomes, and the overall sustainability of the fish seed supply system.
- Incorporating fish and other aquatic foods in School Meal Programs (SMPs) can improve nutrition for schoolchildren while providing market opportunities for local food producers, creating healthier and more resilient island food systems. A new analytical tool for Timor-Leste applies a ‘mosaic of approaches’ framing for planning safe fish supply to schools – considering fresh fish and fish-based products, from marine and aquaculture sources. This brief presents the tool as a proof of concept and outlines its potential applications, including strengthening planning capacity and multisectoral partner engagement. Detailed results will be further tested and refined in upcoming work.
- Fish smoking in Madhya Pradesh is largely a women-driven activity. Indigenous fisherwomen are deeply involved in the entire value chain, from harvesting fish in rivers and reservoirs to processing, smoking, and selling the final product in local markets. In districts such as Mandla, Narmadapuram, Betul, and Jabalpur, this work plays a crucial role in household food security and income generation.
- This report presents the outcomes of a field study of fish production and marketing of aquatic foods conducted from October to December 2024 across 15 local government areas (LGAs) and local council development areas (LCDAs) across the states of Lagos, Ogun and Ondo in Nigeria. Information was obtained as a multivalue chain framework for aquatic food production, focusing on various marketing practices in coastal areas using a structured, qualitative and rapid reconnaissance approach. It features diverse categories of aquatic foods, including finfish and shellfish
- Practical manual on the safety and quality of fish, the objective is to show how to maintain the safety and quality of fish available in the markets, from handling to display for consumers, without spoilage.
- Polyculture of fish is a common pond-based aquaculture system practiced by small-scale producers in developing countries to improve input use efficiency, and increase productivity and profits. We conduct a cross-country comparison to examine whether the economic and productivity benefits are seen in data of 1,651 ponds from 1,307 fish farming households in three countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, and Myanmar. Among these ponds, polyculture is the prevailing system, as it is practiced in 66% of them. The surveys of these households were completed in 2019. We use propensity score matching to match the ponds based on household and pond characteristics, so that ponds are compared with other similar ponds. Results indicate that the aquaculture revenue and profit of polyculture ponds are higher than those of monoculture ponds by US$4,993 and US$6,985, respectively, per hectare per cycle. The increase is also observed in the systems of tilapia polyculture and rohu polyculture, which are the two most common systems among the sampled farmers. The increase for rohu polyculture at US$7,992 in revenue and US$9,366 in profit per hectare per cycle is higher than the increase for tilapia polyculture at US$4,649 and US$6,649, respectively. However, tilapia polyculture farmers save more harvested fish for household consumption, by 72 kg per cycle, than farmers of other systems. The higher profits for general polyculture, tilapia polyculture, and rohu polyculture are statistically significant after controlling for country-level factors and have high critical value of gamma in the Rosenbaum sensitivity analysis, indicating that these results are robust. This analysis from fish farming households complements the results from pond experiments and can help to inform decision-making in aquaculture policy and training..
- This research aims to incentivise key public and private actors to perform critical market and support functions more effectively and inclusively. It also aims to sustain change beyond project timelines through adaptive, market-driven models.
- This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the coastal and marine aquaculture market in the key Nigerian states of Lagos, Ogun and Ondo. It is based on a robust mixed-methods approach involving 903 survey respondents (452 fish farmers and 451 fish consumers), 53 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 18 focus group discussions (FGDs). The study identifies a critical misalignment between production and consumption that hinders the sector’s potential. Research reveals that while catfish and tilapia monoculture dominates production, consumer demand is for a greater diversity of species, with a strong preference for the perceived superior quality of wild-caught fish. Key findings indicate that the sector faces significant constraints, primarily high input costs, limited access to finance and inadequate storage infrastructure. These challenges inflate prices and reduce profitability. The market structure is traditional, relying heavily on intermediaries, which limits producers’ market access and margins. Despite these challenges, the study uncovers a remarkable readiness for sustainable innovation and overwhelming stakeholder support for integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA).
- This report presents the findings of a comprehensive market assessment conducted by Asia–Africa BlueTech Superhighway (AABS) in Bangladesh, focusing on the coastal and marine aquaculture sector. The study examined both supply-side factors (producers of shrimp, finfish, shellfish, bivalves, and seaweed) and demand-side factors (consumers) across five key regions: Cox’s Bazar, Khulna, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, and Satkhira. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including 1,200 semi-structured surveys (600 consumers and 600 producers), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), alongside field observations. The study also explored the adoption of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) as a sustainable farming practice.
- This study assessed the role of IMTA in promoting employment in coastal Kenya, focusing on five counties: Lamu, Tana River, Kilifi, Mombasa, and Kwale. Data collection was done using Kobotoolbox and structured questionnaires, 600 respondents were surveyed, alongside interviews and site visits. The study explored job creation opportunities, especially for youth and women across IMTA value chain. Findings highlight IMTA as a climate-smart solution to the economic vulnerabilities faced by coastal communities, such as overfishing, climate change, and limited livelihood options. Employment opportunities exist across the IMTA value chain—from hatchery operations to farming, post-harvest processing, distribution, and marketing. To fully harness IMTA’s potential, strategic investments in training, policy support, market infrastructure, and ecosystem restoration are essential. This report provides actionable recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and private sector stakeholders to scale IMTA and drive inclusive, sustainable growth in the blue economy.
- The rapid growth of aquaculture in Bangladesh over the past 30 years has been accompanied by a proliferation of wholesalers. Wholesalers are often assumed in academic and public discourse to be exploitative and inefficient: extracting rents rather than driving technological change. This view gives rise to development programs that seek to bypass marketing intermediaries or upgrade their practices. However, there has been little rigorous research on the behavior of wholesalers and its implications for outcomes of value chain performance, including food security. To address this gap, we implemented a statistically representative survey of 229 aquatic food wholesalers in 31 markets in one of Bangladesh’s most important aquaculture zones. We found the following. (1) The wholesale segment of the aquaculture value chain has grown rapidly. (2) Markets are increasingly competitive, with open auctions leading to disintermediation and transparent pricing. (3) Wholesale businesses operate on thin margins. (4) Very little food loss or waste occurs in the farm, wholesale, or retail value chain segments in the study zone. (5) Trading aquaculture products generates substantial employment for men but little for women. Contrary to popular belief, the midstream of the aquaculture value chain in southern Bangladesh is dynamic and efficient. The paper contributes to a growing literature highlighting the contributions that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the “hidden middle” segments of agri-food value chains make to food security.
- The study area is Nigeria's three coastal states in the southwest region, namely Ondo, Ogun, and Lagos. The two-month study was structured to involve structured questionnaires and focus group discussions with participants from the coastal states to obtain quantitative and qualitative data respectively for the study. The objectives were to elucidate the recruitment pattern for aquaculture-related jobs, determine gender-specific challenges of acquiring and venturing into aquaculture in the area, find the opportunities for job creation and assess the intervention that can promote the employability of these marginalized groups of people for the jobs that would be created in the IMTA value chain when implemented.
- This brief highlights the vision, objectives, outcomes and strategy for WP3 of the AABS project - Climate-smart technologies for reducing aquatic food loss and waste: Scaling affordable and accessible climate-smart food preservation, processing and storage technologies to reduce aquatic food loss and waste.
- This brief highlights the vision, objectives, outcomes and strategy for WP3 of the AABS project - Climate-smart technologies for reducing aquatic food loss and waste: Scaling affordable and accessible climate-smart food preservation, processing and storage technologies to reduce aquatic food loss and waste.
- This brief highlights the vision, objectives, outcomes and strategy for WP3 of the AABS project - Climate-smart technologies for reducing aquatic food loss and waste: Scaling affordable and accessible climate-smart food preservation, processing and storage technologies to reduce aquatic food loss and waste.
- This brief highlights the vision, objectives, outcomes and strategy for WP3 of the AABS project - Climate-smart technologies for reducing aquatic food loss and waste: Scaling affordable and accessible climate-smart food preservation, processing and storage technologies to reduce aquatic food loss and waste.
- This document provides an overview of WorldFish's contributions to aquatic food systems in Cambodia, focusing on sustainable development, food security, rural livelihoods, and environmental resilience. Since 2006, WorldFish has worked to integrate fish into rice-based agricultural systems, establishing over 160 Community Fish Refuges (CFRs) that have restored wild fish populations, improved rural diets, and enhanced ecosystem health. These efforts have benefited 80,000–127,000 households and sustainably managed over 200,000 hectares of rice–fish landscapes. The document highlights Cambodia's challenges, including rural poverty, food insecurity, climate risks, and water security issues. It emphasizes the importance of integrated, climate-smart approaches such as rice–fish systems, homestead aquaculture, and wetland conservation to address these challenges. WorldFish has also contributed to policy development, including the National Aquaculture Strategy and Action Plan for Cambodia 2021–2030, and capacity building for government agencies, local communities, and women.
- This study summarizes a market assessment conducted in Kenya by Asia-Africa BlueTech Superhighway (AABS), led by WorldFish and supported by the UK’s COAST program under the Blue Planet Fund (BPF). The assessment is part of the AABS work package, which aims to scale Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) between 2023–2027 to support climate adaptation, food security, and livelihoods in Kenya, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. IMTA is a system integrating species like fish, shellfish, and seaweed to boost aquaculture sustainability and environmental resilience. The study focused on producers (shrimp, finfish, shellfish, seaweed) and consumers across five key coastal counties of Kenya: Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River, and Lamu.