The Products, Trade and Marketing Branch (FIAM) of FAO is organizing a panel session at the Seafood Expo North America 2017.

The Seafood Expo North America, held every March in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, is the largest seafood exposition in North America. This three-day, annual event brings together thousands of buyers and sellers from around the world to do business, network and learn about emerging issues at the conference sessions that are held consecutively with the exposition hall. This year, the Products, Trade and Marketing Branch (FIAM) of FAO is organizing a panel session at the Expo titled "How can market measures promote sustainable seafood production and consumption", to be held on 19 March 2017 from 2:00 to 3:15pm.

What is the current situation, where are we headed, and how can we insure that sustainable practices are adopted globally to meet future demand? The goal of the FAO session is to raise awareness on market means and tools for stakeholders to improve efficiency and sustainability along fish value chains, thus contributing to achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to eliminate poverty and hunger and ensure supplies of fish and fishery products for future generations. To address these topics, the FAO session speakers will present on the following topics:

• An overview of the state of global fisheries and market measures as a means to facilitate sustainable value chains
• US import regulation to prevent IUU fish entering markets
• A public-private partnership to develop a benchmarking tool for third party certification schemes
• Private sector efforts to promote sustainable production and exports from developing countries
• Encouraging sustainable consumption through raising consumer awareness of underutilized fish species

Under the auspices of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an intergovernmental agreement, 17 SDGs were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015. The UN Agenda 2030 was built upon the structure of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the 2015 Development Agenda and has significantly raised the bar from halving the number of people in poverty by 2015 to ending poverty and hunger by 2030. The ability of governments to achieve the SDGs requires cooperation with and active participation from all stakeholders along the value chain, namely: governments, fishers and fish farmers, the private sector, civil society and academics. In particular, SDG 12 – Responsible Production and Consumption – which is aimed at the development of sustainable production and consumption practices along value chains, will require complimentary action on the part of industry and civil society stakeholders to meet the rising global demand for fish and fishery products in a sustainable way.

Fish as food makes an important contribution to food security and livelihoods, and the fisheries and aquaculture sector will make a vital difference in achievement of the SDGs. Thus, it is important to raise awareness about the SDG 12 for all stakeholders. The Seafood Expo North America is an ideal venue to raise awareness and to open the discussion on challenges and opportunities for promoting sustainable production and consumption along the fisheries and aquaculture value chains.

More information about the conference programme, panel speakers and logistics for the Seafood Expo North American can be found on their website: http://www.seafoodexpo.com/north-america/conference-program/

FAO Globefish will be present at The Seafood Expo North America. Please stop by our booth (No 2786) to share your point of view on fish market trends ot to join our international family!