Strategic Investment in Africa’s blue foods industry seen unlocking $17bn opportunity

…create 3.3m jobs

Startegic investment in Africa’s blue foods – fish, shellfish, crustaceans and aquatic plants production could unlock $17 billion opportunity and create over three million jobs across the continent, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The report, ‘Investing in Blue Foods: Innovation and Partnerships for Impact,’ shows that targeted investment and innovation could transform one of the continent’s most underdeveloped, high potential food sectors into a driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Africa currently produces 13.1 million tons of blue foods annually, yet the sector faces significant losses and constraints. Up to one-third of output is lost post-harvest, feed accounts for 70-80 percent of production costs (compared with about 60 percent globally), and fish disease outbreaks can wipe out entire harvests.

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Without strategic intervention, the report noted that the continent risks falling further behind.

By 2032, Africa may be only continent where per capita blue foods consumption declines, as production growth is expected to lag population growth, according to the report.

“Africa has the resources, talent and demand to build a world class blue foods sector,” said Tolu Oyekan, managing director and partner at BCG and head of BCG West Africa.

“But fragmented value chains and underinvestment continue to constrain growth. This report outlines a practical, investible roadmap to unlock productivity, scale and competitiveness through innovation and coordinated action across public and private sectors.”

Scaling innovation

The report identifies five areas where innovation can deliver step-change improvements in productivity, sustainability and value creation: Inputs – new feed solutions such as black soldier fly larvae and methane-fermented protein can reduce dependence on costly imports.

Secondly, production AI-powered tools for real-time fish monitoring and precision feeding are helping smallholder farmers reduce waste and improve survival rates. Thirdly, processing -affordable solar dryers in Uganda and AI-based grading systems in Morocco and Nigeria are improving quality and shelf life, especially for women-led processors.

Fourthly, supply Chain: Innovations such as solar-powered cold rooms in Nigeria (ColdHubs) and digital control towers in East Africa are cutting spoilage and improving logistics, enabling smallholders to access premium markets.

Lastly, circularity and waste: Insect-based waste conversion in Ghana and smart gear recovery systems for West African coastal fisheries can unlock new value streams while reducing pollution and resource loss.

The report emphasised that alignment on policy and partnership imperatives which highlights interventions require coordinated action from regulators, financiers, development partners and the private sector particularly in designing derisking mechanisms that attract long term capital.

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The report noted that lessons from countries such as Indonesia, China and New Zealand show that large-scale transformation is possible with the right alignment of policy, finance and innovation ecosystems.

It highlighted the World Economic Forum’s Food Innovation Hubs Global Initiative as a key platform to accelerate these efforts.

“To realise the full potential of Africa’s blue food economy, we must treat it as core infrastructure not a niche,” said Oyekan.

“This means embedding blue foods into national food strategies, investing in cold chains and rural logistics, and partnering with the private sector to scale what works.”