By 2030, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization…
““By 2030, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, fish farming will dominate fish supplies. Given how wrong the FAO has been in the past--saying catches were going up when, in fact, they were going down--this statement is worth examining carefully. When you do, you find it to be an observation of previous trends, not a reflection of what could happen or what people might want--in the same way as Red Delicious was once far and away the most popular apple in the United States because it was basically the only apple you could get. The FAO is simply observing that fish farming is the fastest growing form of food production in the world--growing at 9 percent a year and by 12-13 percent in the United States. Nobody is asking us whether we want this. It is just happening. The continued destruction of mangrove swamps in poor countries to provide shrimp for people living in rich countries is simply the market operating in a vacuum untroubled by ethics. It is a reflection of what will go on happening if we do not find ways of exercising any choice in the matter.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote warns that rapid growth of fish farming, driven by market forces without ethical oversight, may lead to environmental damage and loss of consumer choice.
In simple terms: Fish farming is expanding fast, but without ethics it harms ecosystems and limits choices.
Consider ethical impacts of food production growth
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy making
- environmental advocacy
- consumer education
- corporate strategy
- agricultural planning
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance demand with ecological stewardship?
- What policies could give consumers real choice?
The claim assumes growth is inevitable and ignores potential regulatory or technological solutions.