SCIENCE POLICY REPORT: ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY IN AQUACULTURE TO BUILD A RESILIENT GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEM

Introduction

Jointly organised by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC), the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), the workshop “Sustainable Aquaculture – Environmental Impacts and Food Security”, held in Berlin, Germany, in October 2023, brought together an interdisciplinary group of emerging scientists from Brazil and Europe to assess the potential and challenges of freshwater aquaculture in the face of rapid climate change and unprecedented loss of biodiversity. As a result of this workshop, a policy report was published by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences on 16 June 2025, emphasizing the prospects of especially freshwater aquaculture as a key component of a resilient, sustainable and increasingly circular global food production system, while considering the unique circumstances in Brazil and Germany and providing specific policy recommendations for both countries [1].

Report summary

While acknowledging its many challenges, the aquaculture sector is growing rapidly and offers enormous potential to shift the global food system towards greater efficiency, sustainability and resilience. With the great variety of fish production methods, aquaculture has the ability to increase its importance as a sustainable global food source, both in terms of quantity and nutritional quality. Through the policy report, the author group aims to outline a path for aquaculture, especially freshwater aquaculture, to become a resilient, future-proof and increasingly circular mode of food production, focusing on available freshwater aquaculture technologies and offering a comparative perspective on the fish farming sectors in Brazil and Germany.

Despite many differences, Brazil and Germany both share substantial potential for growth in the freshwater aquaculture sector. However, fish production and consumption in both countries fall below the global average, e.g., with Germany producing only 2% of domestically consumed fish. Both nations face similar challenges regarding the impacts of climate change, high production costs, negative public perception, labour shortages, and regulatory barriers. Expanding sustainable aquaculture requires strong political support, strategic measures, and efforts to enhance public awareness of its benefits compared to other animal production sectors. With the vision of expanding sustainable freshwater aquaculture, it is emphasised that research and technological advancements, as well as economic feasibility, are crucial in enhancing productivity, resource efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

Policy recommendations

Aquaculture has great potential to contribute to a sustainable, circular, and resilient global food system. To unlock its ability to support healthy human diets, especially in regions with low self-sufficiency, three main objectives must be met.

1) Simplify regulatory procedures to support the sustainability of existing aquaculture enterprises and facilitate the creation of new ones.

2) Implement effective education and workforce development, while fostering consumer awareness about the sustainability and health benefits of modern aquaculture.

3) Translate scientific knowledge and innovations into practical, sustainable solutions.

To achieve these objectives, we recommend the following actions:

Policy and regulation

• Streamline bureaucracy: Limit the number of regulatory bodies responsible for licensing and controlling freshwater aquaculture facilities.
• Introduce aquaculture officers: These officers, located within regulating bodies, would guide prospective aquaculture entrepreneurs through the entire licensing and monitoring process, from initial concept to full implementation.

Consumer awareness and educating the future workforce

• Offer meals based on sustainable aquaculture products: Integrate domestically produced sustainable (freshwater) aquaculture products into public canteens, schools, and universities. This initiative can help support public health and promote the role of aquaculture in transforming the food production sector.
• Launch a mainstreaming programme: Raise societal awareness about the nutritional benefits of fish and the sustainable, secure, and transparent practices behind domestic freshwater aquaculture. Collaboration between governmental bodies, NGOs and the sector can help improve public perception and address prevailing biases against farmed fish.
• Intensify training programmes: Promote fish farming as a promising career path for young professionals. A skilled workforce is needed to scale up sustainable freshwater aquaculture, including:
• Technical training for practitioners.
• Academic training for research, education, and governance roles.

Science and innovation for practice

• Develop technological packages: These should be tailored to local needs and opportunities, focusing on sustainable technologies that offer economically viable solutions. These packages should include the selection of appropriate species, the re-use of by-products, and the implementation of effective waste management strategies to improve circularity.
• Co-develop local best management practices (BMPs): In collaboration with industry and government agencies, develop BMPs, guidance, and tools that encompass skills, knowledge, technology, services, infrastructure and governance. In this process, social and gender equity should also be considered.

References

1.                        Becke, C.; Diógenes, A.; Eljasik, P.; Ferraz, R.; Gallani, S.; Roy, K.; Lopes, I.; Naas, C.; Ogashawara, I.; Alyson, R.; Schmautz, Z.; Schumann, M.; Shaw, C. Advancing Sustainability and Circularity in Aquaculture to Build a Resilient Global Food System. German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina; Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC); 2025.