Thumbnail Image

Strengthening small-scale fisheries for food and nutrition security, human well-being and environmental health in Zambia

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Penang, Malaysia ;

Pages 24 p.

Author Kakwasha K, Simmance FA, Cohen PJ, Muzungaire L, Phiri H, Mbewe M, Mutanuka E, Nankwenya B, Wesana J, Byrd K, Pincus L, de Bruyn J, Chan CY, Mills D, and Siamudaala V.

Publisher WorldFish ;

Product type Booklet

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Zambia is rich in aquatic resources with 15 million ha of water in the form of rivers, lakes, and swamps. These water bodies support diverse and widespread capture fisheries, particularly small-scale fisheries (SSF) that make significant contributions to human well-being, food, and nutrition as well as to local, national, and regional economies. The fisheries sector has a critically important role in food systems in Zambia and in addressing complex and evolving nutritional priorities, as well as the environmental and climate change challenges. Fish from SSF is currently the main supply of fish in Zambia and will likely be so in the coming decades. Fish from SSF are often traded extensively informally, such as in dried form, and provide an accessible and nutritious food source for all, including vulnerable rural and urban populations, and during times of climate-induced agricultural lean periods. Despite this, the catches and services of SSF are underreported and persistently undervalued. Future investment priorities need to shift to safeguard and enhance fisheries, such as through effective governance and reductions in waste and loss, to secure the flow of benefits that underpin sustainable development.

Cite this content as:

​Kakwasha K, Simmance FA, Cohen PJ, Muzungaire L, Phiri H, Mbewe M, Mutanuka E, Nankwenya B, Wesana J, Byrd K, Pincus L, de Bruyn J, Chan CY, Mills D, and Siamudaala V. 2020. Strengthening small-scale fisheries for food and nutrition security, human well-being and environmental health in Zambia. Penang, Malaysia: WorldFish. Program Brief: 2020-41.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet
    Linkages between the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication and the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition 2021
    Also available in:
    Despite being enshrined in Sustainable Development Goal 1, the complete eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition is still far from becoming a reality, with millions of people all over the world struggling to enjoy healthy diets. Fish and other aquatic foods are major contributors to the healthy diets of billions of people, within sustainable food systems, providing a unique source of fatty acids, essential micronutrients such as vitamin A and D, iron and calcium (among others). These products are often also the most affordable sources of animal protein. However, small-scale fishers, fish workers and their communities still face constraints in effectively participating in decision-making processes that shape their lives, therefore remaining marginalized, and their contribution to food security and nutrition remains under-recognized. The following two international instruments can help small-scale fisheries actors overcome these challenges: CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition (VGFSN) and Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines).
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Linkages between the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication and the Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises 2020
    Also available in:
    Small-scale fisheries communities in coastal areas or close to freshwater bodies are often highly vulnerable to a range of hazards (climate change, etc.) beyond their control. Frequent social, economic and political marginalization makes small-scale fisheries communities particularly susceptible to being affected by protracted crises. Two international instruments provide guidance on how to better address these issues: the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable SmallScale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) and the The Committee on World Food Security Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises (CFS-FFA). The brief gives and overview of both instruments and and explains their synergies. This brief is part of a series that brings attention to the mutually reinforcing nature of four global normative instruments developed through the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the SSF Guidelines. Their synergistic implementation can make a difference in enabling small-scale fisheries actors to contribute to sustainable food systems by providing highly nutritious food for local communities, and it can make a difference for consumers in national, regional and international markets. The four CFS instruments with direct links to the SSF Guidelines are the CFS Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security (Right to Food Guidelines), the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT), the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI Principles) and the CFS Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crisis (CFS-FFA).
  • Thumbnail Image
    Project
    Strengthening Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods through Small-Scale Fisheries - GCP/GLO/645/NOR 2022
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Where poverty exists in small scale fishing communities, it is multidimensional in nature. As well as dwindling fishery resources and low incomes, it is also the result of factors that impede the full enjoyment of human rights political, economic and social, among others. Despite this, small scale fisheries tend to be inadequately addressed, both in terms of resource management and from a broader social and economic development perspective. The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines), endorsed by the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in 2014, were developed to address this situation. This instrument needs continuous implementation if it is to achieve its intended impact of enhancing the contribution of small scale fisheries to food security and sustainable livelihoods. The aim of the project was to enhance the contribution of small scale fisheries to food security and sustainable livelihoods through better policies, strategies and initiatives, by promoting the application of the principles of the SSF Guidelines.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.