Why smallholder farmers are investing in a new kind of tilapia
Tilapia is more than just a fish—it's a lifeline. With smallholder farmers facing an increasingly difficult climate and global demand for farmed fish projected to increase by 40% by 2030, sustainable solutions like aquaculture are essential.
For over three decades, WorldFish's Genetically-Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) program has empowered smallholder farmers with resilient, faster-growing tilapia strains, improving local incomes and diets in communities facing poverty and malnutrition.
Fish like GIFT tilapia provide vital vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and protein—key nutrients for human health and crucial for brain development. Today, GIFT tilapia is being embraced by more than 17 countries as a sustainable, climate-friendly source of nutritious food.
Now in their 20th generation, Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia are bred to grow bigger, about 30% faster, and withstand variable water quality and disease—benefiting farmers, sellers, and consumers.
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