The administration of U.S. Donald Trump has set plans in motion to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), attempting to freeze key funding for programs around the world aimed at global economic growth, democratic reform, and reducing poverty.
Though the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Trump’s emergency request to freeze nearly USD 2 billion (EUR 1.85 billion) in foreign aid on 5 March, that funding is not guaranteed to resume, leaving the future of several projects in limbo – including one of Africa’s largest foreign-supported aquaculture programs.
The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish, a project financed by USAID and managed by Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security, recently received a stop-work order to halt its initiatives.
The project originally received a five-year grant in September 2018, as it aligned with USAID’s objectives to foster agricultural research and capacity-building. That initial grant ended in 2023, but was renewed for another five years shortly thereafter.
Near the end of 2024, the program launched six one-year startup and scaling activities in Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia to both expand the work started under the initial grant and identify new approaches to improve sustainable aquaculture and fisheries in Central Africa.
Initiatives funded under the program included training smallholder fish farmers on disease monitoring, biosecurity, and improved management practices to mitigate losses, boost productivity, and improve food security; agriculture and aquaculture integration efforts aimed at developing more climate-smart food growth efforts; and scaling fish powder operations, among others.
“Each of these activities brings a unique approach to addressing food security and improving livelihoods using aquatic foods,” Stephen Reichley, deputy director of the lab and assistant professor in MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said before the funding pause. “We are excited to add the startup and scaling Activities to build on work benefiting farmers, fishers and consumers in Asia and Africa.”
At least 14 more Fish Innovation Lab activities had been competitively picked for funding support in 2025 before the decision was made to freeze funding.
Blessing Mapfumo, the executive officer of the African Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS), told SeafoodSource that this was just one of many fish-farming projects affected by the freeze.
“I am aware of other projects in countries such as Zambia, Malawi, Madagascar, and elsewhere which were also impacted,” he said. “Things are at a standstill or, rather, on a wait-and-see process. A clearer picture will perhaps suffice after the mandatory 90-day review has elapsed. I have a feeling some of the projects may get back to motion after the 90 days.”
Some African governments have announced measures to plug the deficit in their national budgets created by the freezing of USAID support.
Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement that halting of U.S. support affects the country’s “access to critical funding from USAID and other U.S. government programs.”
The ministry said Zambia receives approximately USD 600 million (EUR 557 million) annually from the U.S., which supports key sectors like health, agriculture, education, and governance.
“The effect on non-exempted sectors like education, agriculture, and governance is still being assessed to establish potential funding gaps,” the ministry said. “Zambia is preparing mitigation measures to address potential aid shortfalls in key sectors.”
The USAID funding freeze exacerbates an issue African economies have faced for years: a lack of locally generated financing for sectors like aquaculture.
“Limited access to credit and appropriate business planning and development skills are locking the growth of aquaculture, which is key for poverty alleviation, food and nutrition security, and job creation in Africa,” the World Bank said.
Some projects are in the works that would allow Africa to become more self-reliant, including the recently established Africa Aquaculture Business Leaders Network (AABLN), which aims to accelerate the sustainable growth of fish farming across the continent.
“At this moment in time, [African aquaculture] is not meeting its potential,” Sophie Ryan, the CEO of the Global Salmon Initiative, which is helping guide the implementation of the AABLN, told SeafoodSource. “The obstacles to meet this potential vary by region but often include access to finance, infrastructure, skills, and technology; all of these can be solved. Some may be solved by individual companies, but others can only be addressed fully if the sector works together.”
