The United States Government, via the US Agency for International Development, has unveiled a $29 million initiative aimed at bolstering the endeavors of aquatic and fish farmers in Nigeria, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Zambia.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to support global hunger alleviation and food security through the Feed the Future program.

Of the total investment, $15 million will be allocated to Mississippi State University, and an additional $14 million will be channeled through Michigan State University.

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These funds will be employed to facilitate research and development within the framework of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish and Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Legume Systems Research programs, respectively.

The US government disclosed these developments in an official statement released on Friday evening.

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish focuses on enhancing the climate resilience of fisheries and other aquatic food systems, including the cultivation of shellfish and seaweed, across Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, and Zambia.

Aquatic foods are not only rich sources of animal protein but are also vital commodities in global agriculture, contributing significantly to the income of aquatic farmers and fishermen.

Building upon years of research, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish endeavors to introduce and scale up sustainable innovations that boost fish production while concurrently safeguarding natural resources and addressing the needs of producers and fishermen.

In its new phase, the lab will emphasize the adoption of sustainable and climate-smart practices, such as enhancing the capacity of coastal wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems to sequester carbon and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

The extended initiative will also concentrate on enhancing food safety and promoting inclusivity throughout aquatic food value chains, with the objective of ensuring that more individuals can access nutritious diets and secure livelihoods.

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The US government emphasized that the extension will facilitate the scaling up and commercialization of new legume varieties, thus enhancing the resilience of legume farmers’ livelihoods and increasing the availability of nutritious food.

The program’s outreach will expand to encompass additional communities in new regions of Africa and will extend, for the first time, into Latin America and the Caribbean.

Moreover, the extension will sustain the lab’s vital research initiatives aimed at empowering women and young people within legume production systems.

These efforts have already yielded positive results by providing economic opportunities to rural women’s groups and supporting over 60 students in pursuing higher education degrees.