Accelerating Indonesia’s blue food economy

• Jul 26, 2025
• 2 min

Indonesia’s blue food economy can drive sustainable development and improve nutrition outcomes. Small-scale fisheries play a crucial role in food security, yet their impact is limited due to inefficient value chains, restricted market access, and low awareness of fish’s nutritional benefits. Women in this sector face systemic barriers, while environmental degradation, climate change, and food loss further threaten sustainability and public health.

MSC conducted an assessment across four provinces to analyze the contributions of small-scale fisheries to nutrition, food security, and public health. Through consultations with fisherfolk, policymakers, and processors, MSC identified key barriers and developed recommendations for creating more nutrition sensitive supply chains of blue food. To increase the uptake of nutritious blue food varieties, MSC recommended the integration of blue food into school meal programs, maternal health initiatives, and social assistance programs, such as Bantuan Pangan Non-Tunai (BPNT). We also emphasized the potential of fortified fish products to enhance nutritional value.

MSC explored strategies to reduce food loss and waste to strengthen the blue food value chain while promoting gender inclusion. A policy roadmap was developed to align blue food with Indonesia’s sustainable development and nutrition strategies. The roadmap focused on sustainable fisheries management, nutrition security, and equitable participation of small-scale fishers. We identified scalable models from other countries that Indonesia can adapt to promote sustainable fisheries, improve nutrition outcomes, and ensure inclusive growth. 

The findings help strengthen Indonesia’s fisheries sector while they improve access to affordable, high-quality nutrition for vulnerable communities.

The Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, Stanford University – Center for Ocean Solutions, and Surveyor Indonesia supported this initiative.