Plenary: Water and Aquatic Foods as Critical Components of the Food Systems Transformation

Both water and blue foods have been undervalued and overlooked in conversations about climate change and food security at both global and national levels. This plenary session will be setting the theme for the entire day, “EMBRACE sustainable water use and aquatic blue food diversity for climate smart food systems,” by highlighting the importance of incorporating blue foods and water into food systems policy and decision making, with particular emphasis on their incorporation in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Action Plans (NAPs).

This session will be a facilitated dialogue between high-level speakers working in the blue floods and water arenas. A moderator will set the scene and provide an overview of the current science on water and blue food systems, then transition to a dialogue between the panelists who can speak directly to the importance of incorporating water and blue food systems into national pathways for climate resilient food systems, including NDCs and NAPs.