The CGIAR is positioning itself to scale its Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) program, aiming to improve the lives and well-being of people in low- and middle-income countries through a sustainable transformation of animal and aquatic food systems.

The initiative focuses on fostering an inclusive, healthy, and nutrient-dense food supply chain that is both sustainable and climate- and environmentally friendly.

Rodrigue Yossa, Interim Director, CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods Science Program during the CGIAR Science Week, in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital said SAAF will foster inclusive, healthy and nutrient-dense food supply chains that are climate- and environmentally friendly.

“We want to improve the livelihoods of 1.7 million people across Africa, Asia Pacific and South America, making sure that they have access to nutrient-dense quality animal and aquatic foods,” he said.

The six-year program (2025-2030) is a collaboration among six CGIAR centres including WorldFish, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Alliance Bioversity & CIAT, international Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), International Water Management Institute (IMWI) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Ismahane Elouafi, Managing Executive Director of CGIAR, emphasized that SAAF’s success hinges on collaboration at all levels.

“It’s not just a program but a platform for change tailored to local realities,” she said.

SAAF is committed to South-South collaboration for knowledge exchange, developing the next generation of researchers through targeted programs, and engaging policymakers and investors to translate research into action.

Ismahane further noted that SAAF aligns with national food system priorities, ensuring synergy with government policies, private sector investments, and community efforts.

“Kenya is a strong model that can be replicated across the continent and globally. Together, we can turn ambition into action, creating enduring impact beyond research,” she added.

To achieve scale, the SAAF program builds on six interlinked areas of work: productivity, climate and the environment, One Health, market systems, policy solutions and scaling, data and digital solutions, and gender, youth, and social inclusion.

The program aims to develop and scale tailored innovations to boost productivity, strengthen market systems, and enhance resilience. Through partnerships with diverse stakeholders, SAAF seeks to leverage cutting-edge research, data-driven insights, and local engagement.

Lucy Obungu, Director of Fisheries at the State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries, highlighted bottlenecks hindering fisheries’ uptake, including low aquaculture production and limited technology adoption.

She pointed out that high input costs, from seeds to other resources, pose significant challenges for farmers.

“We need to address the data gap in aquaculture. Data often comes from commercial farmers, leaving small-scale farmers disconnected due to weak links between policy and investment. Commercial fish farmers must invest heavily in production and value chains to reach consumers despite demand, which remains a challenge,” Dr. Lucy explained.

She stressed that demand-driven research and innovation, made accessible to farmers, are vital for adopting technologies that enhance production.

SAAF’s efforts aim to enable supportive policies and drive sustainable, long-term impact for communities and stakeholders across food systems.

The program will pilot sustainable practices in countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia, among others.

However, scaling livestock production faces constraints such as limited technology adoption, inadequate access to quality veterinary services, and insufficient extension services to help farmers boost output.

Suzanne Kuria, Vice President of the African Women Fish Processors and Traders Network (AWFISHNET), underscored the need for empowerment. “Now more than ever, we have a right to thrive, not just survive,” she said.

She added that gender inclusion is about empowering women without sidelining men, who should act as champions. “We need gender embedded in policies while building mentorship spaces that foster learning, empowerment, and enlightenment,” Suzanne emphasized.

Godfrey Mambo, Senior Corporate Banker at Rabobank’s Corporate Lending Africa, advocated for technology to advance the sector. He cited blockchain as a tool to track produce from farm to export.

“When banks lend money, they assess repayment capability. Yet livestock and fish farming systems are often seen as unviable for repayment, hence a need for mentorship to be investor-ready,” Godfrey noted.

What Challenges Is SAAF Set to Address?

SAAF targets limited access and affordability in animal and aquatic food value chains. Oliver Simwa, a Kenyan dairy farmer, revealed that disease outbreaks are prohibitively expensive for farmers to manage.

Another challenge is the lack of comprehensive data, which hampers investment and policy decisions. Kipkemoi Changwony, Director of the Kenya Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), stressed the importance of data-driven programs to deliver research outcomes to farmers.

“At KALRO, we’ve embraced mobile app technologies as a better extension tool. We’ve registered 6.5 million farmers, providing regular updates on sustainable and evolving farming practices,” he said.

Productivity gaps and identifying context-specific solutions are also key focus areas. CGIAR Director Ismahane urged greater collaboration among institutions, NGOs, the private sector, and governments for a collective approach.

Lucy Obungu echoed this, calling for strengthened partnerships in financial investments and research innovation to disseminate solutions to farmers effectively.