It’s Time to Look to the Sea: Aquaculture Can Feed America and Help Address Climate Change

Opinion piece by marine science lead, seafood leader and renowned seafood chef makes the case for expanded U.S. aquaculture

As the world population continues to grow and land resources become scarce, we must diversify our food systems and look to the sea. A new piece written by Robert Jones, Global Lead for Aquaculture at The Nature Conservancy, Bill Dewey, Director of Public Affairs at Taylor Shellfish Farms, and Chef Barton Seaver, Founder of SeafoodLiteracy.com advocates for ways to harness the potential of the mighty sea and specifically, the opportunities that marine aquaculture can provide, including mitigating the effects of climate change.
 
While most of the world’s fertile land is already in use, the ocean provides only two percent of our food. The authors detail the opportunities that aquaculture would provide as we seek new production methods, and that through offshore farming, we can reimagine global food production and establish a resilient and climate-smart food system.
 
The authors also discuss how with today’s science and technologies, aquaculture can be done responsibly and sustainably, and they cite the new study supporting these claims from The Nature Conservancy and the University of Adelaide, Climate-Friendly Seafood: The Potential for Emissions Reduction and Carbon Capture in Marine Aquaculture.
 
You can read the piece from these three industry experts on The Nature Conservancy’s website here.