October 15, 2025 • 3 min read
As part of the 80th Anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the 2025 World Food Forum, GOAL Global has been awarded FAO’s global Technical Recognition for excellence, a global distinction that celebrates outstanding technical innovation and impact in aquatic food systems.
Granted under FAO’s “Blue Transformation” initiative, the recognition highlights GOAL’s contribution to the four pillars of sustainable food systems: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life. GOAL’s global “Resilience of the Blue Economy” programme reflects the organisation’s commitment to finding innovative and sustainable solutions to improve food and nutrition security, essential foundations for the development of vulnerable communities.
Over the past decade, GOAL has implemented a systemic and integrated model to strengthen coastal communities and artisanal fisheries, using the Resilience for Social Systems (R4S) approach, a GOAL innovation that applies systems thinking to design contextualised interventions. This approach enables the design of solutions that strengthen local governance, enhance environmental sustainability and build economic resilience.
More than 12,000 people in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia and Haiti have directly benefited from this approach, including fishers, women and young people engaged in fishing, fish processing and by-product utilisation, reducing waste and generating new income opportunities.
Among the most notable results is the consolidation of REDPESCAH, a collective brand of artisanal fishing organisations that brings together 22 groups, facilitates access to formal and higher-value markets, and reduces layers of intermediation, strengthening household economies and promoting traceability and sector formalisation.
Artisanal fishers have diversified their income sources, improved the quality and safety of fish products through the adoption of Good Fishing Practices (GFP), and integrated energy-efficient solutions, such as solar panels and improved engines, which lower operational costs and environmental impact. GOAL has also promoted the transformation of fish waste into collagen and fish leather, fostering innovation and the sustainable use of resources, while strengthening climate-smart and resilient blue enterprises that contribute to safer and more sustainable diets.
The Resilience of the Blue Economy model is also expanding throughout Africa, with experiences in Sierra Leone and South Sudan, where GOAL supports fishing communities in mangrove restoration, value-chain development, and the formation of savings and credit associations that enhance financial inclusion and local food security.
FAO’s recognition validates over a decade of collaboration with regional institutions, the private sector, governments, academia, civil society and local communities, demonstrating that blue transformation can and should be led from within the territories.
“This recognition reflects GOAL’s commitment to sustainable solutions built through partnership with local stakeholders from the private sector, government, academia, civil society and communities. It also reinforces the importance of continued innovation so that coastal communities can lead their own development with greater resilience and independence from aid,” said Bernard McCaul, President of Programme Design, Innovation and Business Development.
GOAL’s global Blue Economy Programme will continue to expand its reach and strengthen partnerships to promote sustainable aquatic food systems, enabling fishing communities in crisis contexts to advance towards resilience.
