Integrating blue foods into climate strategies

As climate change increasingly threatens food production, protecting food systems while lowering their emissions will be essential in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and feed a global population that is expected to reach 8.6 billion by 2030. Blue foods — fish, shellfish, aquatic plants, and algae from oceans, rivers, and lakes — are often overlooked in food and climate strategies despite their potential to deliver low-carbon, climate-resilient nutrition. Food systems produce at least one-third of all greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, yet only 4% of climate finance targets food systems, with even less investment going to blue foods.

In collaboration with WorldFish, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University, CARE USA, the Beijer Institute, and Leiden University, the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions synthesizes research to help climate negotiators and policymakers assess how blue foods can support low-carbon, climate-adaptive food systems. The research examines the varying carbon footprints across species and the growing climate risks to the nutrition and livelihoods provided by blue foods.

The project team is working to elevate blue foods on global climate agendas by sharing research insights and actionable recommendations at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) convenings known as the Conference of Parties (COP). 

In 2023, the research team published a white paper outlining four ways to leverage blue foods to reduce emissions in the global food system. An accompanying policy brief and infographic on climate-smart blue foods informed discussions at COP28. 

In 2024, the research team released guidelines for integrating blue foods into national climate strategies, including nationally determined contributions (NDCs)under the Paris Agreement. The guidelines included an analysis of blue food mentions in the 2020 round of NDC submissions. They found that, of 194 NDC submissions analyzed, 43% had no mention of blue food keywords. The team held three regional webinars to socialize the guidelines with climate decision-makers ahead of COP29.

Research insights have informed how the Aquatic Blue Food Coalition, a multistakeholder group, champions blue foods in climate policy engagements.

At COP 28, the Coalition co-hosted side events on climate-smart blue foods and helped ensure aquatic foods were included in the COP 28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action, now endorsed by 160 countries that are committed to integrating food systems into their NDCs.

At the Bonn UNFCCC Intersessional in June 2024, the team convened agriculture negotiators from 15 countries to brief them on the increasing prominence of aquatic foods in the UNFCCC climate agenda. At COP 29, the team co-hosted an official side event, which highlighted blue foods as a nature-based climate solution and featured examples of how nations had incorporated aquatic foods into their climate strategies.

Ahead of COP 30, collaborators are engaging with the COP 30 Presidency and the Brazilian Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture to integrate aquatic foods into conference themes and priorities. The COP 30 Presidency selected the Aquatic Blue Food Coalition as an initiative under the COP 30 Action Agenda, which is assembling a “granary of solutions” highlighting initiatives around the world that advance climate mitigation and adaptation.

Project collaborators

• Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics
• CARE USA
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Leiden University
• Stockholm Resilience Centre
• United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
• WorldFish