ACG highlights aquaculture’s potential at Global Food Security Conference
Aquaculture’s potential to help feed the world’s growing population was highlighted by Dave Conley, The Aquaculture Communications Group (ACG) senior consultant and founding partner, at McGill’s Conference on Global Food Security in Montreal, Canada.
“As recent as September 23rd, 2009, the FAO published a paper emphasizing that the world will need to produce 70 percent more food for an additional 2.3 billion people by 2050,” said Mr. Conley, “When confronting the challenge of feeding all these people, one cannot but wonder why we are not using our marine and freshwater resources more efficiently and responsibly.”
Aquaculture science and technology have come a long way since the 1950s and recent developments in applications to farming a wide variety of aquatic animals and plants are improving the livelihoods of many people around the world.
According to the latest edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2008 by the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) published this year - from a production of less than 1 million tonnes per year in the early 1950s, aquaculture production in 2006 was reported to be 52 million tonnes with a value of US$78.8 billion, representing an annual growth rate of nearly 7 percent, making it the fastest growing animal food-production sector and outpacing population growth.
“This is an incredible testament to what we can do when we have the tools and the desire to use them,” said Mr. Conley. “In 2009 we will realize an important milestone - for the first time, half of the seafood consumed by humans will come from aquaculture.”
Given that 70% of the earth is covered with water, we need to make more efficient use of this resource to produce food, hence the need to develop responsible aquaculture production systems.
“If aquaculture is going to be a significant player in feeding the world’s hungry then we are going to need more investment in aquaculture science & technology, and develop better ways to transfer that S&T to where it can be best applied”, he said.
www.aquacomgroup.com
The Aquaculture Communications Group (ACG) specializes in facilitating the sourcing and exchange of aquaculture science, technology, and business information using 'new media' and other rapidly developing digital technologies. With over 60 years of combined experience in aquaculture R&D and S&T, public policy, and business development, the principals of ACG have developed an extensive global network of contacts in the research & development, academic, business, and government communities that comprise today’s aquaculture industry.
