Fish Acquisition and Consumption in the African Great Lakes Region through a Food Environment Lens: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Effective actions for the fishery and aquaculture sectors to contribute toward improving nutrition rely on an understanding of the factors influencing fish intake, particularly amongst vulnerable populations. This scoping review synthesises evidence from 33 studies in the African Great Lakes Region to examine the influence of food environments on fish acquisition and consumption. We identified only two studies that explicitly applied a food environment framework and none that linked policy conditions with the contribution of fish to diets. Economic access to fish was represented in the largest number of included studies (21 studies), followed by preferences, acceptability and desirability of fish (17 studies) and availability and physical access (14 studies). Positive perceptions of taste and low cost, relative to other animal-source foods, were drivers of fish purchases in many settings; however, limited physical and economic access were frequently identified as preventing optimal intake. In lakeside communities, fish were increasingly directed toward external markets which reduced the availability and affordability of fish for local households. Few studies considered intra-household variations in fish access according to age, gender or physiological status, which represents an important knowledge gap. There is also scope for future research on seasonal influences on fish access and the design and rigorous evaluation of programmes and policies that address one or more constraints of availability, cost, convenience and preferences.

Nudging fisheries and aquaculture research towards food systems

“…Advances will be made with greater attention to the “missing middle” (Tezzo et al., 2020; Veldhuizen et al., 2020), or the drivers and patterns of processing and distribution that mediate food acquisition and consumption. A review of the food environments that impact fish acquisition and consumption in the Great Lakes Region of Africa provides a useful illustration of the range of socio‐cultural, economic, physical and behavioural mediating factors (de Bruyn et al., 2021). These patterns and mediating factors in food environments (HLPE, 2017) harbour entry points for change that are overlooked relative to investments and interest in production, but that may be equally important in driving food system transformations towards healthier and more sustainable configurations (Downs et al., 2020).…”

Food consumption patterns in employees of Ethiopian institute of agricultural research

“…The non-consumption of fish by the majority might be associated with the general assumptions of the community as the food item is luxury; and might be because of the unavailability in the common market places. Similarly, Malawi women identified fish as “rare food”, consumed infrequently due to their high price [ 22 ]. Even though fish is a nutritious food, there is no experience of consuming large quantities of fish in Ethiopia due to its scarce production [ 23 ].…”

Unlocking the Potential of Fish to Improve Food and Nutrition Security in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Fish contains lipids (fatty acids) which have long-chain unsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) in the form of arachidonic acid (ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) [9,14,41]. Fish species such as sardines, mackerel, anchovies, and some salmon species are rich in EPA and DHA making them important sources of these fatty acids [38,42].…”