At WorldFish, the long-running selective breeding program for the Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) strain is fundamental to its efforts to improve livelihoods and food security in Asia, the Pacific and Africa by improving aquaculture and fisheries.
The development of faster-growing tilapia species helps farmers increase their productivity, which is especially beneficial for poor, small-scale producers in developing countries who depend on aquaculture for food, income and nutrition yet often have low yields.
In 2016, WorldFish continued this vital GIFT breeding work, funded by the European Union, highlighted by the development of the 15th generation of GIFT and the first-ever distribution of GIFT fry to Myanmar.
Contributed by Kate Bevitt, WorldFish
CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish 