Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
4.9 million vessels had the world fishing fleet in 2022, reducing from 5.3 million in 2019 (FAO, 2024).
USD 452 billion was the value of aquatic production in 2022, with USD 157 billion from fisheries and USD 296 billion from aquaculture (FAO, 2024).
164.6 million tons of aquatic animals were destined for human consumption in 2022, representing 89% of total production (FAO, 2024).
3.0% was the anual increase in aquatic food consumption between 1961 and 2021 (FAO, 2024).
1.4% was the annual increase in per capita aquatic food consumption, from 9.1 kg in 1961 to 20.6 kg in 2021 (FAO, 2024).
Between 80% and 90% of forest-related businesses in the majority of developing countries are small and locally operated, with small-scale enterprises accounting for over half of all employment in the forest sector (Sarmiento, 2025).
5,000 years of artificial selection have been necessary to develop the main variants of food crops we know today, highlighting the patient work of generations of farmers to adapt plants to specific conditions (Velásquez, A., 2025).
500% has increased agricultural productivity in the last seven decades thanks to the incorporation of scientists and technologists from various areas, from genetics to irrigation, fertilization, mechanization, and recently robotics, digitalization, and biotechnology (Velásquez, A., 2025).
Approximately 12,000 years have passed since, after the last ice age, major human migrations began to develop domestication techniques and artificial selection to adapt wild plants and animals to productive agricultural conditions (Velásquez, A., 2025).
51% of global investment in research and development corresponds to North America and Europe, while Asia represents 39%, leaving only the remaining 10% for other regions including Latin America, according to UNESCO data (2021) (Velásquez, A., 2025).
