GLOBEFISH Meet the Expert has the opportunity to interview Ms. Nicole Franz, Fishery Planning Officer of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division at FAO.

During the interview, Ms. Franz explained the importance of the role of small-scale fisheries at all levels in terms of trade, food security and nutrition, livelihoods, income, and employment. Challenges face by small-scale actors in securing market access and fair distribution was stressed, and the approach to take in order to improve these problems. Ms. Franz mentioned the role of FAO to support small-scale fisheries and that FAO has introduced several techniques and best practices to reduce post-harvest loss reduction, and the promotion of food quality and safety, as well as highlighting the role of women in fisheries at a small-scale. The interview finalizes by mentioning the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022), where Ms. Franz emphasized the importance of this global event in order to recognize and empower the contribution of small-scale artisanal fishers, fish farmers and fish workers toward a more responsible and sustainable use of fisheries and aquaculture resources. 

Ms. Nicole Franz is a development economist with 18 years of experience in intergovernmental organizations. She holds a master’s in international Cooperation and Project Design from University La Sapienza, Rome and a master in Economic and Cultural Cooperation and Human Rights in the Mediterranean Region.

From 2003 to 2008 she was a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). In 2009-10 she was Fishery Planning Analyst at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, focusing on fisheries certification. Since 2011 she works for the FAO Fisheries Division where she coordinates the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) with a focus on inclusive policy processes and stakeholder empowerment. Since 2021 she leads the Equitable Livelihoods team.