Promoting the importance of aquatic foods on human nutrition and public health under APART in Assam

One of the key activities (Deliverable 7) under the APART project is “Improving impact of aquaculture and beel fisheries on human Nutrition”. WorldFish with partners is supporting the implementation of this activity. This consolidated report summarizes all the work done by WorldFish and partners as part of deliverable 7. The project has developed and tested several Social Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC) resources (e.g. banners, leaflets, brochures, calendars, TV spots, and videos) to promote the consumption of aquatic foods by vulnerable communities, PLM, adolescent girls, and children by targeting relevant stakeholders (e.g. Integrated Child Development Services programs, District Social Welfare (DSW) field functionaries, Anganwadi workers, Village communities, primary health centres, and the general public). We have trained 597 trainers to spread the message on the role of aquatic foods. We conducted 36 cluster-level awareness programs where 1994 numbers of women, adolescent girls and community people were given information on the benefits of fish consumption. We also organised 2 zonal workshops and 1 statelevel workshop for different stakeholders to build awareness of the importance of aquatic foods. Based on the demonstrations at the community level, the project documented all the small fish-based recipes cooked locally at the community level and produced a Small Fish Recipes book

Solar-dried small fish: A women-led innovation in the coastal fishing villages of Odisha, India

Presentation for UN Ocean Decade Satellite Activity ‘A Productive Ocean: Resilient aquatic food systems for a productive ocean (1 June 2022). 10 polyhouse solar driers were installed and operalonized in partnership with Mission Shakti, FARD. Program was scaled up through MSME and FARD Establish market linkages (both open and school feeding program)

Leveraging on multi-utility waterbodies to sustainably produce aquatic foods in India

Ponds are a key component of the rural agricultural landscapes of Odisha and one of the state's bounteous aquatic resources. The government of Odisha has set a unique example by using adaptive governance strategies to manage community waterbodies through aquatic farming. Despite not being as well protected by law or policy as other waterbodies, ponds offer environmentally friendly answers to some of the most significant issues associated with water management and climate change

Climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive aquaculture in Odisha, India: a new horizon in sustainability, adaptation, and mitigation

The aquaculture sector plays very momentous role in providing nutritionally rich food and livelihood support to the impecunious communities across the developing world thus contributing directly and indirectly to their food security. However, the sector is vulnerable and impacted by climate variability. Changes in remote climate, rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, sea-level rise, etc. are now limiting the production efficiencies and sustainability of the aquatic food production system. Odisha, on India's east coast, is one of the least developed states, with significant levels of food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in rural areas. Droughts, floods, and other extreme weather phenomena are becoming more common and intense in Odisha. Amidst several restraints, Odisha offers luxuriant freshwater aquatic resources where aquaculture can potentially enhance resilience through improved resource use efficiencies and increased diversification of farmed species, locales of production, and management strategies. Against this backdrop, the government of Odisha has unveiled climate, nutrition, and gender-sensitive fisheries policies with "technological innovations" to address these complex interlinking issues of climate change and food security. The present communication portrayed some of the promising climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive food system approach which is expected to increase productivity, environmental sustainability, and climate change adaptability