Saving Seafood

World Food Prize Winner Unlocks Benefits of Fish

May 13, 2021 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted has been named the 2021 World Food Prize Laureate. Often referred to as the Nobel Prize for food research, Dr. Thilsted is the first woman of Asian heritage to receive the award. Her work focuses on unlocking the benefits of fish for diets, health and livelihoods.

“Dr. Thilsted’s work has helped scientists understand just how beneficial fish can be. She’s shown that fish not only provides essential micronutrients and fatty acids, but also improves the absorption of nutrients from traditional agrarian staples,” said Jennifer McGuire, Registered Dietitian from the National Fisheries Institute.

The World Food Prize Foundation says her work is, “reshaping scientific understanding of the benefits of fish in diets” and helping “prioritize increases in fish consumption and production, transforming the diets and incomes of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.”

Her award-winning work includes a focus on expanding small-scale aquaculture systems where small and large fish species are farmed together.

“Dr. Thilsted’s research is unique because it’s holistic,” said National Fisheries Institute Chair Derek Figueroa, President of Seattle Fish Company. “Not only is she looking at the vital dietary side, she’s looking at the jobs, income and the sustainability of whole communities. The transformational power of seafood is truly on display.”

The Foundation calls her work a “trailblazing approach” that “extends throughout the entire chain of producing, processing, transporting, selling and consuming aquatic food.”

“We’re not just talking about generally nourishing people,” said McGuire. “We’re talking about work that helps get the right nutrients to the right people, from nursing mothers to ageing populations. It’s truly remarkable.”

“NFI congratulates Dr. Thilsted on this award and thanks her for her tireless work,” said Figueroa.

World Food Prize granted for research on nutritional importance of seafood

May 13, 2021 — Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, the global lead for nutrition and public health at WorldFish, has been named the 2021 World Food Prize Laureate for her research into developing nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquatic food systems, including fisheries and aquaculture, and integrated food production from land and water.

Sometimes referred to as “the Nobel Prize for food and agriculture,” Thilsted’s research has been praised by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and represents the first time a woman of Asian heritage has been awarded the prize. Her research delved into the nutritional composition of small native fish species that are typically consumed in Bangladesh and Cambodia.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Fisheries policies urged to prioritise nutrition goal

June 1, 2016 — The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that fish consumption per person globally has more than doubled over the past five decades. But scientists say governments should now focus more on the nutritional quality of fisheries.

The development of fisheries that are nutrition-sensitive would improve nutritional outcomes instead of only production and trade values, says a study in the May issue of the journal Food Policy. Fisheries refer to harvesting of aquatic animals from wild populations and aquaculture.

By adopting a nutrition-sensitive approach, the study argues that fisheries present many untapped opportunities to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to provide accessible and nutritious foods for all.

Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, lead author of the study, says that while past policies targeted hunger and have successfully increased food production, “in areas where people have more than enough staple food, they remain malnourished”.

“We want to develop food production systems, in this case fisheries, that improve nutrition and health of the populations,” stresses Thilsted, a senior nutrition advisor with the international research organisation WorldFish.

Read the full story at Sci Dev Net