Integrating Blue Foods into National Climate Strategies

Abstract

Blue or aquatic foods—foods that are wild-caught or farmed from oceans, rivers, and lakes—are an important part of global food systems. They are increasingly recognized as a priority for climate action, yet they are often overlooked in climate discussions and underfunded in mitigation and adaptation financing. Addressing climate impacts on aquatic food systems and leveraging their potential for climate action requires their integration into national climate strategies and UNFCCC processes. Climate decision-makers have an opportunity to use growing momentum and insights on blue foods to develop concrete policy strategies that can support a thriving blue food sector in the face of climate change. These guidelines are designed for audiences working on nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and other climate strategies. They offer diverse entry points for employing blue foods in climate solutions and are intended to be a starting point for setting targets and developing policies related to blue foods in climate action, offering a framework rather than an exhaustive list of actions. Policymakers can adapt these policy options to NDCs as well as consider their relevance in other areas of climate planning, including water and waste management, energy, nutrition, and economic development. The policy options outlined in these guidelines are organized into five intervention areas. In addition, we offer four enabling measures that can strengthen the implementation and monitoring of aquatic food climate solutions.