Globally, the lack of nutritionally good food is a major challenge. Unfortunately, statistics show that the pandemic has led to a dramatic deterioration. Before the pandemic, statistics showed that 690 million people lacked food (2019), two billion lacked access to the right nutritional food and as many as three billion could not afford to buy the right food within their food references. The sub-Saharan and South Asian regions performed worst, according to WorldFish (2021).

Then came the pandemic and the situation worsened, with an increase in the result of as many as 132 million people. Extreme poverty has increased by 124 million, while 114 million people have lost their jobs.

Is the sea a solution to this as well?

The sea contributes with sustainable and climate-friendly food, both from fishing and farming. Seafood contains additional nutrients that very many of us either have a marginal intake of, or lack. Did you know that both vitamin B12 and iodine are essential for cognitive development? In addition, seafood contributes with long-chain marine omega-3 fatty acids and high protein quality that is important for the mother, and not least ensures that the child gets a good start in life.

Seafood is an important part of a healthy diet and helps to maintain good health throughout life. All of these nutrients are found in fish, iodine mostly in lean fish, and omega-3 fatty acids most in fatty fish. In fact, a meal of Norwegian farmed salmon will cover a week’s recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids, even though their levels have declined in recent years. The winner is still the small fish we eat whole (for example sardines), where most of the nutrients are scarce, are present. Feel free to check sjomatdata.hi.no, and find out how much you are getting from these important nutrients in your next seafood meal.

The vegan trend is growing all over the world, but you must be rich in both money and knowledge if you are to be able to get enough of the nutrients mentioned above, in a good balance. Plant foods do not contain vitamin B12 or iodine, that is, with the exception of seaweed and kelp. Consumption of seaweed and kelp directly as food, however, has quite large challenges, which was well described in an article from the Institute of Marine Research on iodine content in various kelp products, and where many exceeded the recommended maximum intake. For iodine, as for many other vital nutrients, it is important to get enough, but not too much. Both present health challenges.

The potential is there

In September this year, the UN summarized the measures that can help solve food and nutrition challenges in the world. One of the suggestions from Norway was that food from the sea must play a greater role; precisely because seafood contributes such important nutrients, and is one of the food production systems that has the potential for a sustainable increase. For example, seaweed and kelp do not need to be fertilized for good growth, farmed fish utilize the feed very well compared to other animals in production, and there is great focus on using feed for our farmed fish with raw materials that can not be used directly for food.

Lately, there are a number of important development tasks that must land before one reaches the finish line, but we are well on our way. For example, the term circular economy can be mentioned, where one of the directions is to convert carbohydrate-rich residual raw material into high-quality protein. Another example is the direct use of new raw materials from the sea, which are found in large volumes (mesopelagic species), but where there are also a number of development tasks left before we reach our goal. But, the potential is there.

If we can increase the consumption of food from the sea from today’s approximately to one percent to up to 1 percent in the future, much will be solved. Here, Norway can certainly contribute along the entire value chain (see illustration below), especially with knowledge of both how to do it and what can pay off and still be sustainable and contribute to enough healthy and safe food.

Must be willing to share our knowledge

The goal of the UN is that in the future we will have a clean and rich sea, stop polluting, and remove what we can from rubbish that unfortunately is already there. Then the sea will also be healthy and have good, preserved ecosystems, which will be able to contribute well to food production. We must have knowledge of what it takes to both harvest and produce sustainable food from the sea. if we manage to establish sufficient knowledge of how it, and comply with it, much will be done and the sea will be able to help ensure enough healthy and safe food for a growing population.

Another major challenge is climate change, which is expected to amplify the unequal distribution of available (sea) food. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has calculated that there will probably be more fish in the north and less in the south where there are the most people and should be the largest. Lack of many challenges, but is also a national and international security risk, as well as a driver of migration and more.

Basic knowledge along the entire value chain, which includes current fisheries and farmed species (in various parts of the food chain), their ability to adapt to climate change, management regime, good level knowledge of foreign substances and nutrients, local and central authorities, food actors, food processing, food references, food systems and health care are central themes to ensure enough safe and healthy seafood.

In order for more people to get enough healthy and safe food from the sea and fresh water to ensure good health for everyone, aquatic food must be made available locally and prepared according to local preferences so that the food eaten there should be greatest. It also means that we must be willing to share our knowledge along the entire value chain, and not least, give others the opportunity to use it. Norway already contributes assistance in large parts of this value chain and now is the time to also add nutrition to ensure that future generations get enough security and healthy food that maintains good health.

New assessment will be published this summer

The Institute of Marine Research works along the entire value chain; knowledge of the sea, the ecosystem, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, new feed materials, circular economy and sustainable farming, food safety and focuses on seafood and health. The Institute of Marine Research, together with several others along the blue value chain, can help follow up the UN food summit to ensure enough safe and healthy food for everyone.

As mentioned, we analyze and share the data about the substances we do not want in seafood, but which are there, and about nutrients and the potential that lies there for good health. There are extensive data on the occurrence of substances in both wild fish and farmed fish. These are published on HI’s website. The condition is good for most species. Where there are challenges, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has provided dietary advice (warnings) so that you as a consumer can be safe. No seafood is allowed to be sold without it being categorized as safe, so that the consumer’s health is taken care of.

In 2018, the food authorities in Europe reduced the tolerance limit for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs, and this has led to a discussion about the health authorities’ advice on how much fish we can eat still applies. Therefore, a new risk benefit assessment is now being made by the Scientific Committee for Food and the Environment (VKM), which will be published by the summer of 2022. This assessment will provide a good indication of whether there is, and what, health benefits seafood intake can contribute. Norway has many and good knowledge with a focus on the sea, and an industry that uses knowledge and puts it into practice, and not least, which respects the rules and lovers who set based on knowledge. We will definitely say that. Yes, Norway can really contribute to the solution of ensuring enough safety and healthy seafood in the future also in a global perspective.