The Blue Foods of The Blue Planet
Earth is called the Blue Planet because it’s covered by an abundance of water. Beautiful, mesmerizing, and rich in life, the oceans and seas have been providing food to millions of people around the world for centuries. And just like how national parks receive protections, the world’s oceans also deserve to be preserved for their beauty, wild rawness, plants, and animals.
However, we are also witnessing firsthand the problems that the oceans are facing. In modern times, about 4.6 million boats fish our oceans, which makes it extremely difficult for different wild fish populations to maintain their population sizes.
Unfortunately, the belief that we all can and should stop eating fish and seafood is not a possible and realistic solution to the problem. With more than 7.9 billion people in the world—soon projected to be 10 billion—it’s unrealistic to not consider the oceans as a food source. The growing population needs nutritious and accessible food, and farming land alone will not provide enough for everyone.
Plus, seafood—including shellfish, finfish, and seaweeds—are very healthy sources of protein that are also high in essential micronutrients, such as omega-3s, zinc, iron, and vitamins A, D, and B12. By eating fish and all of its bountiful ingredients, our bodies become stronger and more protected from many diseases.
As our precious planet is occupied by over 71% water, we need to find ways to take good care of the oceans, while also using the water to help feed the world population. We are witnessing a rare, defining moment in history when we can work together to build a new food system—the BLUE food system—which will reimagine the seafood, seaweed, and sea vegetables of the future in the context of sustainability.
Eating more blue foods that come from the water benefit both human health and the planet’s health with a variety of benefits:
Providing healthy and quality food for the world’s population
Ending malnutrition
Ensuring thriving, nature-positive, and climate change resilient food systems.
Sustainable wild AND farmed sources of seaweed, fish, and seafood are needed for our overall well-being and can be raised in a nature-friendly way.
The good news is that there are many brands catching or growing sustainable seafood, like the salmon from our farm.
We also know that when aquaculture (or the farming of aquatic plants and foods) is done right, it uses very little land, water, or feed (food for fish) and has one of the SMALLEST carbon footprints of any animal proteins. The aquaculture industry currently produces less than 0.5% of the total greenhouse gas footprint globally. This is an incredible amount, but we can always do better.
If we protect at least 30% of our oceans by 2030, while also building a blue food system, it is possible to restore our oceans to abundance, even while fighting climate change. Aquaculture done well plays a vital role in supporting ocean regeneration. If properly managed, the oceans can keep up with the growing demand for healthy blue foods.
This upcoming week, think about how you can start to include more sustainably-sourced blue foods into your diet. We’d love to see your “blue food” meals—share them with us on Instagram and tag us at @KvaroyKids!