FISH-BASED PRODUCTS IN MAURITANIAN SCHOOL CANTEENS

In Mauritania, AFC has carried out a study for a pilot project entitled “Fish products in school canteens”, to improve school feeding but also strengthening the fishery sector.

Thanks to the favourable hydro-climatic conditions, the Mauritanian coasts are known to be among the most fishrich in the world. The fishery sector plays a key role in the national economy. It contributes to almost 10% to the GDP and represents up to 50% of Mauritanian exports. Small pelagics such as horse mackerel, sardinella, sardines, and mackerel amongst others are of great economic importance as they constitute the main marine catches and are an essential resource for the fight against poverty and food insecurity. Nevertheless, national consumption of fishery products remains low and comes essentially from the artisanal sector. On national level, the consumption per person does not exceed 10kg and only reaches 20kg per person per year in the urban coastal areas around Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. The fishery value chains are poorly developed with regard to the export of minimally processed fish to Europe and Asia. Furthermore, 80% of the jobs in the sector come from artisanal fishing, which therefore plays a crucial role in terms of job creation and improving the living conditions of the rural population.

In view of this situation and the growing interest in school feeding, the Mauritanian government has decided to put in place an ambitious support policy. The policy will serve to develop a national programme of school canteens based on local products, including fishery products. In this context, AFC has carried out a study for a pilot project entitled “Fish products in school canteens”, funded by GIZ. This project aims to improve the food security of pupils in the most deprived areas, to alleviate poverty by strengthening the artisanal fisheries value chain and to promote the sustainable exploitation of small sea fish species. This study identified and evaluated the technical and economic conditions necessary for the implementation of the pilot project. To this end, an in-depth and detailed diagnosis of the state of play of school feeding and the level of canteen equipment in a representative sample of schools was carried out. This diagnosis also describes the logistics to be considered and the main actors capable of ensuring the supply and processing of fish in a sustainable manner. The results of this diagnosis, consolidated by an analysis of the nutritional needs of the pupils concerned, made it possible to draw up a list of fish-based products to be introduced into the pupils’ meals. Sanitary and nutritional tests with local laboratories were carried out to guarantee the good product quality. To assess the pupils’ satisfaction level of these dishes, acceptance tests were conducted in the canteens. The study also identified the risks associated with this pilot project and proposed recommendations to reduce them to an acceptable level. These recommendations were presented and discussed in a fruitful exchange with stakeholders at a SWOT workshop, conducted in September 2022 in Nouakchott.

The importance of this project lies not only in its effect on the nutrition and health of Mauritanian children, but also in its capacity to ensure a better structuring of the fisheries sector, particularly artisanal fisheries. This will obviously lead to the creation of decent jobs, particularly for rural women, who are the main actors in the artisanal processing of fish in Mauritania.

For further information, please contact:

Salwa Haddad Project manager salwa.haddad@afci.de