The U.S. market is the largest consumer of Indian shrimp in the world. Over 90 percent of shrimp farmers in India are small-scale farmers facing mounting challenges, including disease risk, price instability, debt cycles, and rising costs. The success of these small-scale shrimp farms is essential to meet U.S. market demand and crucial to local livelihoods, fueling the economy of Andhra Pradesh and its shrimp supply chains.
There are many top-down efforts in India focused on improving practices and establishing market expectations. There are few efforts, if any, that start by asking the small-scale farmers and their community where they struggle and what they need in order to improve livelihoods and create more stable supply chains.
In this plenary session, FishWise will lead a panel discussion with its collaborators in India, sharing their unique methodology and early results from their community-led initiative. You will hear straight from the local community and supply chain actors from Andhra Pradesh about efforts to convene small-scale farmers and community members alongside feed companies, processors and exporters, to craft shared solutions that benefit both communities and markets. You will also hear from a key buyer about why they support this effort and believe this unique approach can directly impact supply chain resilience.
