For decades, high fish prices contributed to poor nutrition in Bangladesh, placing a key source of protein and other nutrients effectively out of reach to many. But the recent expansion of aquaculture has lowered fish prices and boosted fish consumption, helping Bangladesh to draw nearer to Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 (ending poverty and hunger by 2030). This turnaround was so dramatic and unexpected that it has gained the nickname “Blue Revolution.”
A new IFPRI book, The Making of a Blue Revolution in Bangladesh: Enablers, Impacts and the Path Ahead for Aquaculture, outlines what brought about these changes, their implications for poverty and welfare, and the future prospects for aquaculture. At a Feb. 11 book launch, four of the book’s contributors provided key insights from their findings that can help shape future agriculture transformations in Bangladesh and around the world.
Photo credit: Jamed Falik/IFPRI
