Addressing the Data-Action Gap in Zambia’s Aquatic Food System

Abstract

This data gap study of Zambia’s aquatic food system shows a sector focused on building basic institutional foundations rather than advanced technologies. The most critical data gaps relate to mapping stakeholder roles and improving fishery production statistics, reflecting a strong need for governance clarity, coordination, and reliable baseline information. Stakeholders view these foundational elements as more urgent than digital tools or monitoring technologies, identifying weak institutional structure as the main constraint to growth. At the same time, experts highlight less frequently mentioned but highly significant gaps in climate change indicators, malnutrition, and subsistence production. These concerns signal underlying risks to food security and climate resilience that could undermine progress if left unaddressed. The sector also demonstrates strong demand for evidence to inform policy, with data primarily generated to influence government regulations and strengthen resilience to environmental shocks. In addition, gender norms and gaps have become a central operational concern, as women’s dominant role in informal value chains makes gender-disaggregated data essential for increasing national production.