This compendium provides a comprehensive overview of feed and fertiliser use for sustainable aquaculture development in developing countries. It comprises of a series of review papers, including eight country reviews from Asia (Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam), six country reviews from Africa (Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda), one case study report from Asia, three regional reviews (Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa), a global synthesis as well as the final report of the FAO Expert Workshop on "Use of feeds and fertilisers for sustainable aquaculture development", held in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China, on 18-21 March 2006.

The country reviews provide an overview of the current status of aquaculture, a synthesis of the availability, accessibility and use of feed and fertiliser resources in relation to the diversity of farming systems and practices and an analysis of the nutritional, economic and social constraints of using these inputs. The regional reviews provide a synthesis of the country reviews by considering production trends and feed and fertiliser use from a wider geographic perspective and also analysed the projected expansion of the aquaculture sector in relation to the future availability of input commodities. The global synthesis provides a general overview and summarises the future challenges facing the sector with respect to the use of feeds and fertilisers. The reviews as well as the case study reports provided the background information for the working group sessions of the workshop.

The working groups focused on the important role of farm-made aquafeeds in Asia and the need to develop and promote the use of farm-made feeds in sub-Saharan Africa, considered issues pertaining to the production and safe use of aquafeeds and deliberated on the constraints faced by industrial and small-scale aquafeed producers.

Several key issues and constraints were identified, categorised and prioritised and appropriate actions were recommended. The workshop recommended that FAO undertake the following actions to assist regional organisations and member country governments to address the following identified issues and constraints on a regional and global perspective:

• Review existing national standards and legislation regarding nutrient specifications (where these exist) for the manufacture of industrial and farm-made aquafeeds.
• To provide guidelines and advisory material for different farming systems, practices and feed types.
• Review existing national incentive mechanisms, subsidies and taxes affecting the animal feed manufacturing sector and feed ingredient usage, including feed commodity imports and exports and developing domestic promotion strategies.
• Compile synopses of the nutritional requirements of major cultured fish species and the feed ingredients currently used in compound/farm-made aquafeeds, including national/regional feed ingredient source books containing information on nutrient composition, quality control criteria, seasonal availability and market price.
• Encourage the strengthening of national/regional dialogue, exchange of information and assist with the setting of research priorities between researchers, the public sector and the aquaculture sector (including farmers and feed manufacturers), by supporting the activities of national/regional organisations, implementation of joint research projects, establishment of national farmer/aquafeed associations, and the development of web-based information and research networks.
• Strengthen capacity of farmers, feed manufacturers, private service providers, researchers and extension workers in aquaculture nutrition and feed technology, including on-farm feed management in developing countries (particularly in sub- Saharan Africa), and promote inter-regional cooperation.