A Methodological Guide For Mapping Womens Small Scale Fishery Organizations To Assess Their Capacities And Needs

The purpose of this methodological guide is to outline how to conduct an empirical assessment of the current landscape of women’s small-scale fishery (SSF) organizations. Applying this methodology will enhance understanding of where women are organized in SSFs (both geographically and within the value chain); what their present organizational characteristics and capacities are; and their primary needs. Gathering this information through this methodology can help design interventions to enhance women’s organizational capacities and to work towards greater gender equality in fish value chains.

Through the FAO-NORAD project, survey data was used to “map” women’s organizations and assess their present capacities and needs in the small-scale fisheries sector. Data collection for this study (herein referred to as the Women’s SSF Mapping Assessment) in Sierra Leone focused on five districts: Kambia, Port Loko, Moyamba, Bonthe and Pujehun. Between 26 February and 15 March 2021, a total of 59 groups were surveyed (for a full overview of data collection and methods, see Appendix 1), including 10 groups in Pujehun, 11 groups in Port Loko, 18 groups in Kambia, 13 groups in Bonthe and 7 groups in Moyamba. The results of this study and related recommendations for capacity enhancement activities were later validated by stakeholders at the National Inception and Consultative Workshop, held 22 June 2021 in Freetown. Twenty participants attended the workshop, including representatives from all five coastal districts. A variety of stakeholders provided their input on the recommendations to enhance the capacity of women’s small-scale fisheries organizations, including the minister, director and other senior staff members from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), fisheries out-station personnel, and community stakeholders (e.g. Community Management Associations [CMAs], women fishworkers).

Through the FAO-NORAD project, survey data was used to “map” women’s organizations and assess their present capacities and needs in the small-scale fisheries sector. Data collection for this study (herein referred to as the Women’s SSF Mapping Assessment) in Ghana focused on six regions: Western, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Volta and Oti. Across these regions, a total of 46 surveys were collected between 23 September and 5 November 2020 (for a full overview of the study methods, see Appendix 1). The results of this study and related recommendations for capacity enhancement activities were later validated by stakeholders at the National Inception and Consultative Workshop held on 20–23 April 2021 in Winneba in the Central region. The workshop was attended by 59 participants, including fish processors drawn from ten project communities; officers from the Fisheries Commission and other partner agencies, including the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Food Research Institute (CSIR-FRI); and civil society organizations and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Each of the ten communities were represented by two processors who participated in project-related surveys (e.g. the study’s baseline assessment) and a leader from at least one women’s small-scale fisheries group. In addition, women’s small-scale fisheries group leaders at the district, regional and national levels were also invited. In all, 30 fish processors and leaders participated in the validation process.

Through the FAO-NORAD project, survey data was used to “map” women’s organizations and assess their present capacities and needs in the small-scale fisheries sector. Data collection for this study (herein referred to as the Women’s SSF Mapping Assessment) focused on four districts: Buikwe along Lake Victoria, and Mukono, Masaka and Buliisa districts in Lake Albert. Across these four districts, a total of 49 surveys were collected between 27 August and 6 September 2020 (for a full overview of the study methods, see Appendix 1). The results of this study and related recommendations for capacity enhancement activities were later validated at a workshop held 23–25 March 2021, by representatives from the central government (Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries – MAAIF), district-level officials, extension officers, and women from the small-scale fisheries sector. The workshop, which was presided over by the Commissioner for Resource Management, was attended by 40 participants. Their feedback on proposed capacity enhancement activities is reflected in this report.

Through the FAO-NORAD project, survey data was used to “map” women’s organizations and assess their present capacities and needs in the small-scale fisheries sector. Data collection for this study (herein referred to as the Women’s SSF Mapping Assessment) focused on three districts along Lake Malawi: Karonga in the Northern region, Salima in the Central region, and Mangochi in the Southern region. Across these three districts, a total of 54 surveys were collected between 18 September and 30 October 2020 (for a full overview of the study methods, see Appendix 1). The results of this study and related recommendations for capacity enhancement activities were later validated through a workshop held on 24 March 2021, by representatives from the central government (Ministry of Fisheries), academia, NGOs, district-level officials, extension officers, and women from the smallscale fisheries sector.

The small-scale fisheries subsector is a crucial provider of livelihoods, nutrition, and food security to millions of people all over the world. However, small-scale fishers, fishworkers and their communities face many challenges, including lack of recognition, limited participation in decision-making, unsustainable use of aquatic resources, climate change impacts and conflicting interests with other sectors. The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) are the first international instrument entirely dedicated to small-scale fisheries and provide guidance on how to address existing challenges in the subsector. One of the key areas discussed in the SSF Guidelines is the need for an enabling environment that promotes good governance. This publication, Small-scale fisheries governance – A handbook in support of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, was based on a number of training courses on governance in small-scale fisheries. It offers an overview of the SSF Guidelines and guidance on their implementation in particular with regard to good governance and the enabling environment needed.

Food and nutrition security is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In an attempt to contribute to reaching this objective, school feeding programmes are serving meals to over 418 million pre-primary, primary and secondary schoolchildren around the world. The positive experience from a project supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Angola, Honduras and Peru that incorporated locally procured fish into home-grown school feeding (HGSF) programmes led to the elaboration of this toolkit. This toolkit is designed to support governments, project designers, managers and practitioners involved in the fishery value chain and school feeding, who want to incorporate locally procured, safe, nutritious and affordable fish and fish products into their existing HGSFs. Therefore, this toolkit is expected to assist them during the rapid assessment of the situation of the school feeding and fishery sector, and the identification of challenges and opportunities present while incorporating fish and fish products into HGSFs. To this end, this toolkit adopts three main approaches: the Sustainable Food Value Chain for Nutrition to enhance the consideration of nutrition lens in the value chain approach; the gender-transformative approach to support women fisherfolk in their activities and increase their participation in school feeding programmes; and local and inclusive food procurement to connect public demand for food to small-scale fisherfolk. Specifically, this toolkit proposes 4 phases and 15 flexible and adaptable tools to sustainably serve fish and fish products at schools.

This catalogue aims to improve the dissemination and outreach of FAO’s knowledge products and overall publishing programme. By providing information on its key publications in every area of FAO’s work, and catering to a range of audiences, it thereby contributes to all organizational outcomes. From statistical analysis to specialized manuals to children’s books, FAO publications cater to a diverse range of audiences. This catalogue presents a selection of FAO’s main publications, produced in 2021 or earlier, ranging from its global reports and general interest publications to numerous specialized titles. In addition to the major themes of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, it also includes thematic sections on climate change, economic and social development, and food safety and nutrition

The 2024 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture features the Blue Transformation in action, illustrated by activities and initiatives, led by FAO in collaboration with Members, partners and key stakeholders, to integrate aquatic foods into global food security and sustainability, enhance policy advocacy, scientific research and capacity building, disseminate sustainable practices and technological innovations, and support community involvement. Part 1 of this edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture benefits from significant improvements in data collection, analytical and assessment tools and methodologies to present the most up-to-date review of world fisheries and aquaculture production and utilization. Part 2 highlights the role of FAO and its partners to catalyse the transformational changes required to support aquaculture expansion and intensification, effective management of global fisheries and upgrading of aquatic value chains. Part 3 covers the high-impact challenges and opportunities of the untapped potential of utilizing whole fish and by-products to improve food security and nutrition, expounds on the role of aquatic food systems in providing critical climate, biodiversity and environmentally sound solutions, and highlights the importance of their integration into national and multilateral processes. It also presents an outlook on future trends up to 2032 based on projections. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024 provides the most up-to-date and evidence-based information, supporting policy, scientific and technical insights on challenges, opportunities and innovations shaping the present and future of the sector, for the benefit of a wide and expanding audience of policymakers, managers, scientists, fishers, farmers, traders, civil society activists and consumers.