* By World Aquaculture Society
On October 15, 2025, the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) was honored with a prestigious award from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for its significant role in sustainable aquatic food systems. The award was presented by FAO Director-General Dr. Qu Dongyu during a ceremony held at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. This event marked FAO’s first-ever Global Technical Recognition Ceremony, which took place as part of the organization’s 80th anniversary celebrations and the World Food Forum 2025.
During the ceremony, special recognition was given to several FAO partners for their technical leadership, collaboration, innovation, and best practices in transforming sustainable agrifood systems. These contributions were highlighted across six key areas:
(1) Sustainable livestock transformation, One Health, animal health, and Reference Centres;
(2) South-South and Triangular Cooperation;
(3) Land, soil, and water resource management for resilient agriculture and food security;
(4) Sustainable aquatic food systems;
(5) Sustainable Forest production and protection; and
(6) Sustainable plant production and protection.
Receiving this honorary accolade underscores the importance of the WAS as a pivotal vehicle and instrument for the development of sustainable aquaculture globally. It reaffirms WAS’s role as a global leader in fostering enhanced international communications, collaborations, education, and information exchange on aquaculture. This has been important to FAO’s programme of work on aquaculture for several decades, since the 1970s.
The award was accepted by Mr. Blessing Mapfumo, Executive Officer of the World Aquaculture Society, African Chapter, on behalf of Dr. Antonio Garza D Yta, the WAS-FAO Global Liaison person.
