Market-oriented production is key to securing a sound, attractive and fair market for farmed aquatic foods, and to building a positive regional image for aquaculture and its products. However, in Mediterranean and Black Sea countries, aquaculture remains a highly fragmented sector with uneven negotiating power along the value chain. The producers – who are mostly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – lack the ability to proactively respond to emerging market issues and regulatory initiatives. In order to successfully transform the regional aquaculture sector, these producers need to be integrated into modern supply chains and supported so they may capitalize on industry and market opportunities and multiply positive socio-economic returns. They must also be provided with better access to market data to facilitate the development of production plans, marketing plans and supply–demand forecasts.

For these reasons, the GFCM is driving activities to aid the shift from a production-oriented approach to one that is market-oriented, and working to enhance the role of farmers’ organizations and multistakeholder platforms in marketing and promotion.