Unlocking the Blue Revolution: aquatic food systems as the next frontier for food, climate, and equity

Speaker: Dr. Essam Yassin Mohammed, Director General, WorldFish, CGIAR’s Senior Director of Aquatic Food Systems.

Moderator: Dr. Rashid Sumaila, FRSC, University Killam Professor, UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF) & School of Public Policy and Glbal Affairs (SPPGA)

Location: AERL Theatre
Please note: this is an in-person event only.

Abstract

As the world confronts the intertwined crises of hunger, climate change, biodiversity loss, and inequality, aquatic food systems offer a powerful yet underleveraged pathway toward a more sustainable and inclusive future. This presentation explores why aquatic foods must move from the margins to the center of global food systems thinking. Drawing on WorldFish’s scientific and programmatic journey, it highlights how advances in genetics, nutrition, fish health, farming practices, governance, market systems, and digital innovation are helping to build climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive, and economically inclusive aquatic food systems. The presentation also examines the paradox of persistent food insecurity amid abundance, the investment and data gaps that continue to constrain progress, and the urgent need for a new generation of programmatic, regional, and enduring partnerships. At its core, this is a call to action: not only to understand aquatic food systems differently, but to invest in them as a strategic lever for shared prosperity, planetary health, and food security in the decades ahead.

Biography

Dr. Essam Yassin Mohammed is Director General of WorldFish. He is an internationally recognized leader in aquatic food systems, with more than two decades of experience spanning research, policy, economics, climate resilience, and international development. His work focuses on advancing sustainable aquatic food systems that improve food and nutrition security, strengthen livelihoods, and build resilience to climate change, particularly across the Global South. In 2025, he was named to the Forbes Sustainability Leaders list in recognition of his leadership in promoting sustainable aquatic food systems as part of the global sustainability agenda. Under his leadership, WorldFish has strengthened partnerships across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific to scale science-based innovations that support livelihoods, environmental sustainability, and inclusive development.

https://oceans.ubc.ca/unlocking-the-blue-revolution-aquatic-food-systems-as-the-next-frontier-for-food-climate-and-equity/