Mapping the social economy of dried fish in South and Southeast Asia for enhanced wellbeing and nutrition

Mapping the social economy of dried fish in South and Southeast Asia for enhanced wellbeing and nutrition

Why Dried Fish Matters
For many of the most vulnerable peoples of the South and Southeast Asia region, dried fish is of vital nutritional, economic, social, and cultural importance.
Social Economy
Dried fish is a source of livelihood and income security for some of the most marginalized groups and individuals, especially women.
Food & Nutrition Security
Dried fish is an affordable source of nutrition for at-risk populations, particularly where fresh fish is seasonal or inaccessible.
Policy, Governance, & Development
Despite its importance, the complex economy that produces and distributes dried fish, and the threats it faces, remains largely invisible in research and policy.
Why Dried Fish Matters
For many of the most vulnerable peoples of the South and Southeast Asia region, dried fish is of vital nutritional, economic, social, and cultural importance.
Social Economy
Dried fish is a source of livelihood and income security for some of the most marginalized groups and individuals, especially women.
Food & Nutrition Security
Dried fish is an affordable source of nutrition for at-risk populations, particularly where fresh fish is seasonal or inaccessible.
Policy, Governance, & Development
Despite its importance, the complex economy that produces and distributes dried fish, and the threats it faces, remains largely invisible in research and policy.

About Dried Fish Matters

Dried Fish Matters (DFM) is an international, multi-country research partnership supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) that examines the social, economic, nutritional, cultural and environmental significance of dried fish across South and Southeast Asia.

The partnership brings together universities, civil society organizations, and community-based researchers to study how dried fish underpins food and nutrition security, gendered livelihoods, and coastal and inland economies, yet remains largely invisible in policy, governance, and development planning.  

Through comparative research, capacity building, and policy-oriented knowledge mobilization, the partnership seeks to make visible the social economies that sustain dried fish and to inform more inclusive approaches to fisheries, food systems, and development.

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DFM researchers, scholars, & community leaders at the DFM Phase 2 planning meeting in Kolkata, 2023 (Photo: Mahfuzar Rahman) 

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