AQUACULTURE, FOOD SYSTEMS, AND PUBLIC HEALTH

This presentation will address how the aquaculture industry and NOAA can help meet public health goals for seafood consumption by working with supply chain partners and other federal agencies that focus on seafood access and use across the food system.

Americans purchase seafood based on taste preference, cost, and health, and a variety of social factors such as age, income, and gender also influence purchasing. In the U.S., health professionals recommend adults eat 2-3 seafood meals per week of a wide range of species, (Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015). Research indicates that eating fish-meals improves childhood development and reduces the risk of cardiac death in individuals with pre-existing coronary heart disease. Americans, however, consistently eat much less seafood than recommended, with the lowest rates of consumption among pregnant and breastfeeding women, children, the elderly, and individuals with low incomes (Table 1).

The aquaculture industry and NOAA play important roles in increasing aquaculture production, however production alone is not sufficient to meet goals for seafood consumption. Aquaculture producers and NOAA need to work across the supply chain and in other parts of the food system to advocate for improving consumer access and use of seafood. For example, supplemental nutrition assistance programs funded by the Farm Bill and managed by the US Department of Agriculture can be better leveraged to improve food access among at risk groups. To date, only the domestic catfish industry has engaged in these programs, and only sporadically. Other opportunities include better connection with the White House "Local Food, Local Places" initiative, farm to school programs, engaging with institutional food procurement programs, and more interaction between aquaculture producers, consumer groups, public health professionals, and civil society organizations. These concepts and ideas will be discussed in the presentation.