The Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) Science Program is one of CGIAR’s flagship initiatives under its new 2025–2030 Science and Innovation Portfolio. SAAF addresses the urgent need for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a focus on the dual sectors of terrestrial livestock and aquatic foods.
Building on the achievements of CGIAR’s past initiatives , including Livestock and Climate, Sustainable Animal Productivity, One Health, and Resilient Aquatic Foods , SAAF aims to generate evidence and innovations that empower 1.7 million people to adopt improved animal and aquatic food system practices, enhance dietary diversity for 300,000 individuals, and increase resilience for 420,000 people, including women, youth, and marginalized groups. The program also targets policy change, with the goal of influencing 62 policies that support low-emission, equitable, and nutrition-sensitive food systems.
With a clear vision to improve lives and well-being in LMICs through inclusive, low-emission, and nutrient-dense food supply chains, SAAF is uniquely positioned at the intersection of food, climate, and equity. It collaborates with a diverse range of partners to co-create scalable solutions and tailor interventions to diverse food system contexts across 17 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
SAAF is articulated around six Areas of Work: (1) Productivity+, (2) Climate and Environment, (3) One Health, (4) Market Systems, (5) Policy Innovation and Scaling, (6) Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion, and (7) Data and Digital Solutions. Through these complementary and interlinked areas, SAAF develops and scales tailored innovations that boost productivity, strengthen market systems, and improve resilience. By working with a wide range of partners, SAAF applies cutting-edge research, data-driven insights, and locally grounded engagement to enable policy change and deliver long-term impact across food systems.
Considering the opportunities in nutrition, income generation, and climate resilience, SAAF program is setting a new paradigm for sustainable animal and aquatic food systems within the CGIAR framework across the Global South.