News

Image Alternative Text: Photo of Dr. Mark Keenum, President of MSU, and Qu Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Director General Visits MSU to Deepen Collaboration in Science, Data, and Innovation for Agrifood Systems Transformation

Qu Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), met with senior executives and researchers at Mississippi State University (MSU), including Mark Lawrence, director for both the Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security and the Fish Innovation Lab.

Image Alternative Text: Shown here at one of MSU South Farm’s aquaculture ponds, along with Qu, are Mark Lawrence, second from left, director of the international Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish; Gabriella Piacentini, special assistant to the Director General; and Peter Allen, MSU aquatic sciences professor and production frontier specialist.

UN Food and Agriculture Organization Director General Qu Dongyu Visits MSU

FAO Director General Qu Dongyu toured the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish and MSU aquaculture research facilities, as well as the High Performance Computing Collaboratory, in addition to meeting with senior MSU officials.

Image Alternative Text: Image of Lora Iannotti with logos and text announcing BIFAD award

Fish Innovation Lab Nutrition Specialist Dr. Lora Iannotti Receives 2022 BIFAD Award for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab

The Fish Innovation Lab's nutrition specialist and PI of the Samaki Salama activity, Lora Iannotti, is the recipient of the 2022 BIFAD Award for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab. This honor recognizes her work to improve nutrition for vulnerable groups through sustainable fisheries.

Image Alternative Text: A farmer feeds the fish in her aquaculture pond.

Improving Biosecurity Team's Executive Summary

The Improving Biosecurity activity in Nigeria aimed to better understand the disease and health status of catfish aquaculture through the deployment of a digital epidemiology survey, collection and laboratory analyses of biological samples, and a series of stakeholder consultations. Learn about the results and the activity's recommendations by reading this executive summary.

Image Alternative Text: Woman stands near field with table of dried fish

United States Announces $29 Million Investment to Extend Two Feed the Future Innovation Labs

USAID announced a five-year extension for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Legume Systems Research. These critical investments will increase productivity and raise incomes of small-scale farmers and fishers so they can produce more affordable, nutritious foods and help improve diets in their own communities and beyond.

Image Alternative Text: Man holds prawns in front of aquaculture pond

$15 Million to MSU-Led Fish Innovation Lab Extends Global Food Security Pursuits Through Aquatic Systems

Mississippi State University has received a five-year, up to $15 million extension for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish to address global food security challenges through aquatic food systems.

Image Alternative Text: four men holding a net full of fish to the shore of an aquaculture pond

Fish Breeding Technology in Bangladesh Offers Convenience and Quality to Farmers and Consumers

"Cryopreservation—preserving and storing the sperm cells of fish—helps maintain valuable genetic material and supports the growing aquaculture sector in the country." The Fish Innovation Lab activity on cryogenic sperm banking of carp in Bangladesh was featured in this Feed the Future story.

Image Alternative Text: a photo of Sandra Correa in a river, holding a fishing net

Our People: Sandra Correa

Sandra Correa, from the Fish Innovation Lab Increasing Fisheries Sustainability for Resilience team, was featured in a Mississippi State University Our People story for her river and aquatic ecology work in Cambodia. Read how Correa is using her knowledge of aquatic biodiversity to promote responsible care of river ecosystems and protect them from overfishing, so they continue to produce a variety of fish.

Image Alternative Text: a screen shot of the first page of the publication

Sustainable Aquatic Food Systems: Multisectoral Analysis of Determinants of Child Nutrition in Coastal Kenya

The Samaki Salama activity in Kenya has a new journal article in Frontiers. This study aimed to map the multidimensional determinants of fish food security and young child nutrition in four coastal communities of Kenya with a view toward designing a large intervention trial.

Image Alternative Text: A group of student interns and the research team were trained by a feed mill engineer from Bangladesh on how to use the feed pelletizing machine.

Bighead Catfish Nutrition Research and Training Builds Capacity Through Installation of a Feed Pelletizing Machine

In Cambodia, the Bighead Catfish team along with a group of students were trained on how to use a fish feed pelletizing machine to work on developing a cost-effective fish feed alternative. The training also engaged participants from the Faculty of Agricultural Biosystems Engineering who have knowledge of agricultural machinery, which built synergy between the faculties at the Royal University of Agriculture by supporting each other and sharing knowledge.