Reducing Losses and Rescuing Value in Small-Scale Fisheries

Small-scale fisheries and aquaculture sustain nearly 500 million people worldwide, but they face major challenges, including food loss after harvest or catch. To address this issue, the World Resources Institute (WRI) published the Practical Guide to Assess and Reduce Post-Harvest Food Loss in Small-Scale Aquatic Systems, a resource designed to support communities, researchers, institutions, and civil organizations working to strengthen food security and fisheries sustainability.

The guide offers an adaptable methodology consisting of six stages—prepare, train, explore, quantify, validate, and act—along with tools that help identify where, why, and how food is lost along value chains. It also promotes collaborative work with fishing communities, the strengthening of local capacities, and the creation of lasting solutions that integrate social, environmental, and gender perspectives.

Within this framework, the Value Rescue Model, developed by SmartFish AC, is presented as a key strategy to reduce losses and improve the quality of fishery products. This model seeks to “rescue” the economic, nutritional, and environmental value lost due to post-harvest inefficiencies through training, technological innovation, and cooperative management.

Through a participatory and scalable approach, the Value Rescue Model empowers fishing cooperatives to improve their processes, access fairer markets, and increase their income while reducing ecological impacts and promoting social equity.

Both initiatives—the WRI guide and the SmartFish model—represent complementary advances in building more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive value chains that recognize the central role of communities in the responsible management of aquatic resources and in the fight against food loss.

📘Download the WRI guide here!