Research will unearth how Usipa and other small pelagic fish, which contain high levels of protein and key micronutrients important for growth, bone and brain development, contribute to the diets and nutritional status of Malawians using a food systems framework.
Aspects of this research will consider the food supply chain, food environments and consumer behaviour. This project will provide novel insights into how participation in small pelagic fish value chains has affected diets and nutrition of Malawian people, with a particular focus on young children and women of reproductive age. By looking at the diets and nutritional status both of the people involved in small pelagic fish value chains and of vulnerable groups in rural and urban communities, we will be able to produce data to inform effective policies and investment in infrastructure to improve safety of pelagic fish and improve diets and nutrition. This research will contribute to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 on ending hunger and malnutrition, SDG 5 on gender and SDG 14 on fisheries.