Aquatic foods are an essential source of long-chained polyunsaturated omega-3 fats, micronutrients and animal proteins, important for food and nutrition security and livelihoods for many communities. Micronutrient deficiencies are persistent in Sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to serious public health issues. Aquatic foods are rich in multiple micronutrients such as vitamins A and B12, iron, and zinc and one of few natural dietary sources of vitamin D3, iodine, and essential fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are often lacking in the diets of vulnerable populations. These fatty acids are, together with iodine, necessary for cognitive development, not only during the first 1000 days but also in particular times of adolescence (referred to as “brain spurts”) (Thatcher, 1991). In addition, consumption of aquatic animal-source foods can improve micronutrient absorption from plant-source foods when consumed together.

The contribution of aquatic foods to food security, nutrition and livelihoods is often under-recognized. Home-grown school feeding programmes (HGSF), which source foods from local producers, offer an entry point for encouraging healthy diets for schoolchildren, community development more broadly, and contribute to the realization of sustainable development goals (SDGs) 1, 2, 3, 5, 12 and 14. The importance of HGSF for poverty alleviation (SDG1) and zero hunger (SDG 2) have been recognized by the UN Hunger Task Force as well as regional bodies such as AUDA-NEPAD. HGSF programmes source ingredients locally but lack foods such as fish. Fish is a good source of nutrients important for children’s physical and cognitive development and can also improve micronutrient absorption from plant-source foods when consumed together.

While there is general recognition that fish and aquatic foods are beneficial for nutrition, the potential benefits of inclusion of aquatic foods in school meal programmes have not been studied. In addition, while studies have shown that children’s diets in Malawi and Ghana are sub-optimal (for example, in Malawi, only 9 percent of children age 6-23 months met minimum acceptable diet) (MICS 2019-2020), there is a lack of knowledge on dietary diversity of schoolchildren, and consumption of aquatic foods in this critical period of growth, particularly through school feeding programmes. Thus, this project aims to fill that gap, by including a research component to build evidence of the importance of aquatic foods in school meals. This research component will include measures to monitor the inclusion of aquatic food products in school meals and the impact of the inclusion of aquatic foods on overall nutrient composition of meals, dietary diversity and nutrition status of children. Initial pilot studies from schools in Malawi and previous studies in Ghana show great potential for including fish in HGSF, which can be upscaled and replicated, with lessons learned shared between the two countries and through documentation and guidance for other countries. Issues often cited for the non-inclusion of aquatic foods in school feeding programmes include the cost of these products and food safety issues, which will be addressed through project activities.

The project includes strong elements of multi-sectoral coordination to enhance ownership of activities and outcomes at the national level, as well as elements focused on building the evidence base on costs and benefits of inclusion of aquatic foods in home-grown school feeding programmes to promote uptake and expansion beyond the project’s completion. The overall aim of the project is to improve food security and nutrition through consumption of aquatic foods for nutritionally vulnerable groups such as children of school age and improve livelihoods and food security of small-scale aquatic food producers through inclusive school feeding programme procurement modalities (caterer groups, school health and nutrition committees, formal public procurement systems, etc.).

Target beneficiaries include schoolchildren and small-scale aquatic food producers in Malawi and Ghana. In addition, government and development partners will benefit from improved knowledge based on studies designed under this project, as well as coordination mechanisms which the project will put in place to ensure multi-stakeholder participation.