Chapter 20 - Terrestrial versus aquatic foods: how more seafood can help to conserve life below water. In: The Elgar Companion to Food System Transformation for Sustainable Development
Healthy oceans are critical not only for climate stability, biodiversity, and ecosystem well-being but also for livelihoods and food security. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) “Life Below Water” emphasises the need to protect and sustainably utilise oceans, seas, and marine resources. Yet, the global status of SDG 14 shows we are not on track to achieve the targets. Given the intricate interplay between food production, consumption, and ocean health, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach that places environmental stewardship above competing priorities like economic growth and profits. In this chapter, the authors propose an approach to reconciling seafood consumption with conserving the oceans and achieving SDG 14 by emphasising the need to look at both the ecological and the social dimensions of seafood together. In terms of the environmental dimension, efforts should focus on reducing the impact of terrestrial food production, in particular to combat marine eutrophication; shifting consumption towards extractive, non-fed species to promote restorative rather than environmentally damaging forms of aquaculture; and redistributing lower-trophic species of capture fisheries from their use in aquaculture feed input to direct human consumption. For the social dimension, the authors stress the need to focus on improving seafood availability, access, and utilisation; regulation and management of seafood production; and increasing collaboration for knowledge production and transfer. In achieving seafood system transformation, we must consider the social and ecological aspects of seafood collectively, moving from “seafood for some” to “seafood for all.”
Kühnhold H. and Asif F. (2026) Chapter 20 - Terrestrial versus aquatic foods: how more seafood can help to conserve life below water. In: Pradhan P. & Pant L.P. (eds.). The Elgar Companion to Food System Transformation for Sustainable Development (pp. 262-283). 10.4337/9781035332854.00024
@inbook{Kühnhold2026,
Title = {Chapter 20 - Terrestrial versus aquatic foods: how more seafood can help to conserve life below water},
Author = {Kühnhold, Holger and Asif, Furqan},
Editor = {Pradhan, P. and Pant, L.P.},
Year = {2026},
Pages = {262-283},
Doi = {10.4337/9781035332854.00024},
Isbn = {978-1-03533-284-7},
Booktitle = {The Elgar Companion to Food System Transformation for Sustainable Development},
Abstract = {Healthy oceans are critical not only for climate stability, biodiversity, and ecosystem well-being but also for livelihoods and food security. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) “Life Below Water” emphasises the need to protect and sustainably utilise oceans, seas, and marine resources. Yet, the global status of SDG 14 shows we are not on track to achieve the targets. Given the intricate interplay between food production, consumption, and ocean health, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach that places environmental stewardship above competing priorities like economic growth and profits. In this chapter, the authors propose an approach to reconciling seafood consumption with conserving the oceans and achieving SDG 14 by emphasising the need to look at both the ecological and the social dimensions of seafood together. In terms of the environmental dimension, efforts should focus on reducing the impact of terrestrial food production, in particular to combat marine eutrophication; shifting consumption towards extractive, non-fed species to promote restorative rather than environmentally damaging forms of aquaculture; and redistributing lower-trophic species of capture fisheries from their use in aquaculture feed input to direct human consumption. For the social dimension, the authors stress the need to focus on improving seafood availability, access, and utilisation; regulation and management of seafood production; and increasing collaboration for knowledge production and transfer. In achieving seafood system transformation, we must consider the social and ecological aspects of seafood collectively, moving from “seafood for some” to “seafood for all.”},
}
TY - CHAP
AU - Kühnhold, Holger
AU - Asif, Furqan
ED - Pradhan, Prajal
ED - Pant, Laxmi Prasad
TI - Chapter 20 - Terrestrial versus aquatic foods: how more seafood can help to conserve life below water
PY - 2026
SP - 262-283
DO - 10.4337/9781035332854.00024
SN - 978-1-03533-284-7
BT - The Elgar Companion to Food System Transformation for Sustainable Development
AB - Healthy oceans are critical not only for climate stability, biodiversity, and ecosystem well-being but also for livelihoods and food security. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) “Life Below Water” emphasises the need to protect and sustainably utilise oceans, seas, and marine resources. Yet, the global status of SDG 14 shows we are not on track to achieve the targets. Given the intricate interplay between food production, consumption, and ocean health, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach that places environmental stewardship above competing priorities like economic growth and profits. In this chapter, the authors propose an approach to reconciling seafood consumption with conserving the oceans and achieving SDG 14 by emphasising the need to look at both the ecological and the social dimensions of seafood together. In terms of the environmental dimension, efforts should focus on reducing the impact of terrestrial food production, in particular to combat marine eutrophication; shifting consumption towards extractive, non-fed species to promote restorative rather than environmentally damaging forms of aquaculture; and redistributing lower-trophic species of capture fisheries from their use in aquaculture feed input to direct human consumption. For the social dimension, the authors stress the need to focus on improving seafood availability, access, and utilisation; regulation and management of seafood production; and increasing collaboration for knowledge production and transfer. In achieving seafood system transformation, we must consider the social and ecological aspects of seafood collectively, moving from “seafood for some” to “seafood for all.”
ER -
