The contribution of seafood to global food security is being increasingly highlighted in policy. However, the extent to which such claims are supported in the current food security literature is unclear. This review assesses the extent to which seafood is represented in the recent food security literature, both individually and from a food systems perspective, in combination with terrestrially-based production systems. The results demonstrate that seafood remains under-researched compared to the role of terrestrial animal and plant production in food security. Furthermore, seafood and terrestrial production remain siloed, with very few papers addressing the combined contribution or relations between terrestrial and aquatic systems. We conclude that far more attention is needed to the specific and relative role of seafood in global food security and call for the integration of seafood in a wider interdisciplinary approach to global food system research.

This study demonstrates how a comprehensive knowledge base can be used by the aquaculture industry, researchers, and policymakers as a foundation for more targeted and detailed climate change impact analysis, risk assessments and adaptation planning. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) production in Norway was used as a case study and to illustrate the need to consider impacts from multiple stressors across different production stages and the wider supply chain. Based on literature searches and industry news, a total of 45 impacts and 101 adaptation responses were identified. Almost all impacts were linked to multiple climate stressors, and many adaptation responses can be used for a range of impacts. Based on the research, a move towards more targeted and detailed assessments is recommended. This can be facilitated through a strong knowledge base, further research to address complexities, and better communication between all stakeholders. The results also demonstrate the need for more climate change research that reflects the challenges that the aquaculture sector faces, where multiple stressors and the range of impacts across production stages and the wider supply chain are included. Highlighting the wide range of stressors, impacts and adaptation responses provides a more holistic understanding of the real-world complexities that aquaculture producers face. This again could facilitate adoption of more effective responses to climate change needed to maintain or increase production sustainably.

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Seafood is expected to play a key role in improving access to healthy diets while providing food products with relatively low rates of greenhouse gas emissions. However, both nutrients and carbon footprints vary among species and production methods, and seafood consumption is further influenced by price and consumer preference, such that it is unclear which species are best placed to provide low-carbon nutritious seafood. Here, we compare the nutrient content and ‘farm-gate’ greenhouse gas emissions of 106 fished and farmed seafood products globally and, using seafood production data, assess the nutritional value, carbon emissions, sustainability, affordability, and availability of seafood available to UK consumers. Most seafood products are more nutritious and emit lower greenhouse gases than terrestrial animal-source foods. Among seafoods, small pelagic fishes and bivalves met recommended intakes for 3-4 essential dietary nutrients at the lowest emissions, whereas beef and lamb had the highest emissions per recommended nutrient target. For seafood products relevant to UK markets and consumers, Atlantic mackerel had the highest availability (landings) of all wild-caught UK seafood and lowest carbon footprint of all finfish, with one fillet portion exceeding recommended intakes of five nutrients (iodine, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B12 and D). We found that price and sustainability of UK seafood, both factors in consumer demand, had considerable trade-offs with nutrients, carbon footprint, and availability. Farmed salmon, for example, were produced in large volumes but were relatively more expensive and less nutritious than other seafood, whereas highly nutritious, low-carbon farmed mussels had limited production volumes. The UK's seafood system is therefore not currently optimised to produce nutritious, low-carbon seafood in large amounts. Policies that promote local consumption of affordable species already produced in high volumes, such as mackerel, could improve intakes of nutrients that are deficient in the UK population, at relatively low environmental cost.