Dried fish provide widespread access to critical nutrients across Africa

James Robinson (), Lydia O’meara, Kathryn Fiorella, Kendra Byrd, Marian Kjellevold, Richard Ansong, Christopher Mulanda Aura, Naftaly Mwirigi, Antonio Allegretti, Rucha Karkarey, Tim Lamont, Eva Maire (), Sarah Martin, Johnstone Omukoto, Sophie Standen, Jessica Gephart, Nicholas Graham, Shakuntala Thilsted and Christina Hicks
Additional contact information
James Robinson: Lancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster University
Lydia O’meara: University of Greenwich, CU - Cornell University [Ithaca, NY, USA]
Kathryn Fiorella: CU - Cornell University [Ithaca, NY, USA]
Kendra Byrd: University of Greenwich
Marian Kjellevold: IMR - Institute of Marine Research [Bergen] - UiB - University of Bergen
Richard Ansong: Université du Ghana = University of Ghana
Christopher Mulanda Aura: Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute - KMFRI (KENYA)
Naftaly Mwirigi: Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute - KMFRI (KENYA)
Antonio Allegretti: Lancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster University
Rucha Karkarey: Lancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster University
Tim Lamont: Lancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster University
Eva Maire: Lancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster University, UMR MARBEC - MARine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation - MARBEC - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - IFREMER - Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UM - Université de Montpellier
Sarah Martin: Lancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster University, University of Leeds
Johnstone Omukoto: Lancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster University, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute - KMFRI (KENYA)
Sophie Standen: Lancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster University
Jessica Gephart: University of Washington - School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Nicholas Graham: Lancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster University
Shakuntala Thilsted: CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Christina Hicks: Lancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster University

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: Aquatic foods are essential in supporting food security and nutrition across the tropics, with "dried" fish particularly affordable, available, and nutritious. However, dried fish food systems are often hidden and overlooked due to data scarcity, limiting understanding of how dried fish contribute to nutrient intakes. Here, we combine nutrient analysis of fish samples with national household surveys from across East and West Africa to understand the importance of dried fish in diets. We find that small portions of dried fish contribute over 15% of recommended intakes for multiple essential dietary nutrients (calcium, iodine, iron, selenium, zinc, and vitamins B12 and D), with low heavy metal concentrations, and are consumed weekly by ~one-third of households in six countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda) (~144 million people). Dried fish consumption was more prevalent than fresh fish, reaching 54% more people, particularly those in poor households and near to marine coastlines or urban centers. The widespread prevalence of nutritious dried fish suggests that these foods and their distribution networks play critical roles in food security and nutrition, even in households distant from fisheries or urban centers. Dried fish can fill nutrient gaps across the tropics but will require policies that mitigate negative effects of overfishing, environmental changes, and competition with international markets, while providing postharvest support to fish processors.

Keywords: fisheries; aquatic foods; diets; food security; heavy metals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05387413v1
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Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2025, 122 (39), pp.e2426844122. ⟨10.1073/pnas.2426844122⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05387413

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2426844122

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