Netting zero: Helping fish farmers fight climate change
Read Time: 5 minutes
May 21, 2024
Updated: May 21, 2024
The world’s population is growing exponentially: there will be 10 billion of us by 2050. It will take all types of protein to feed that many human beings.
Seafood is already playing a critical role in that equation. It’s complex: market dynamics, geopolitical uncertainty and a changing climate are making the global aquaculture sector ever more nuanced . So, Cargill is stepping forward and helping our customers navigate these rough waters.
“For the long-term sustainability of global aquaculture — especially given the projected growth of the sector and its role in nourishing the world — it’s crucially important that we engage the full value chain to find comprehensive solutions to grow the industry while improving sustainability,” says Helene Ziv-Douki, who leads Cargill’s aqua nutrition business. “There is no other way to make real progress.”
When it comes to the long-term sustainability of global aquaculture – especially given the projected growth of the sector and its role in nourishing the world – it’s crucially important that we engage the full value chain to find comprehensive solutions to grow the industry while improving animal welfare and sustainability.
Real progress is already taking place. Just look at the Cargill Aqua Nutrition (CQN) Sustainability Report 2023, which details our actions to help foster a sustainable seafood industry. , which details our actions to help foster a sustainable seafood industry.
Below are four examples of how we’re bringing that goal to life.
1. SeaFurther: Charting a course to net-zero
Cargill is partnering with its aqua nutrition customers to help them reduce their environmental footprint. (Photo cortesy of Lerøy Seafood Group.)
The challenge: While seafood is an increasingly important source of protein for our growing global population, seafood farming can be challenging for the environment. In fact, aquaculture feed is responsible for 60-90% of the total carbon footprint of all harvested fish.
Our approach: Through SeaFurther™ Sustainability, our signature sustainable aquaculture program, we’re working to enable our customers to reduce the footprint of their farmed seafood by at least 30% by 2030. We do this by improving the raw materials we select for the feed we produce, optimizing production and carefully monitoring our customers’ fish nutrition.
Our impact in action: Established in 1899, Norway-based Lerøy Seafood Group is one of the world’s leading salmon producers — delivering 1.75 billion meals to consumers each year. In 2023, we helped Lerøy shrink its carbon footprint from our feed by 3.5% using carbon insets . That equals a reduction of 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). We also shifted all the marine ingredients in the feed we supply Lerøy to be either certified or sourced from Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), as well as including insect protein and algal oil in their feeds.
Lerøy is very happy with the change of pace in sustainability work on feed, and we are confident that the close collaboration with Cargill will ensure we will reach our ambitions in an effective and holistic manner.”
How does SeaFurther Sustainability work?
To help seafood farmers chart a path to net-zero emissions, Cargill’s SeaFurther initiative focuses on three key areas:
- Source: Whether by implementing regenerative agriculture practices, optimizing processing or streamlining logistics, we are working directly with our suppliers to find ways for them to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- Optimize: Optimizing production includes managing energy use in feed production and farming, streamlining transportation and logistics, and tailoring our feed to the fish and their environment.
- Care: Cargill's Research & Development experts take time and care to develop fish nutrition that enhances the health of farmed fish. Healthy fish grow more efficiently, so farmers can grow more fish using fewer resources with fewer GHG emissions.
Learn more about SeaFurther and how we’re advancing sustainable aquaculture throughout the seafood supply chain.
2. Novel ingredients, better feed
Keeping fish strong and helping them grow to their full potential is key to reducing the footprint of our feed.
- The challenge: To keep up with the growing demand for seafood, we must expand our supply chain of healthy ingredients for fish feed. How do we do that without increasing risks to the environment?
- Our approach: For years, we have partnered with a variety of suppliers to develop, commercialize and scale novel ingredients that can bring more nutrients to aquaculture feed — without increasing its environmental risk. These go from algal oil to high-quality insect meal to protein produced by single-cell organisms like bacteria or yeast.
- Our impact in action: Our multi-year partnership with U.S.-based company Houdek allowed us to scale the production of a soy protein concentrate called ME-PRO®. Developed through a special fermentation process, ME-PRO has a higher protein content than other concentrates and a potentially lower impact on the environment as it reduces phosphorous emissions.
At Cargill, we are using our strategic position in the global food supply chain to explore alternative protein choices, invest in new technologies and source sustainable raw materials. We are able to capitalize on our dual role as a raw material producer and feed producer to pioneer transformative approaches in the industry.”
3. Helping our sources be more sustainable
Cargill’s support of the Fisheries Improvement Fund is transforming how and where we source ingredients.
The challenge: Cargill is committed to sourcing all its marine ingredients from sustainable sources. However, the complexity of global supply chains and the limited availability of sustainable raw materials make this a difficult transition.
Our solution: We supported the launch of the Fisheries Improvement Fund by Finance Earth and World Wildlife Fund. This helps us establish and fund more Fishery Improvement Projects: initiatives that provide support to fisheries working towards sustainability. We currently source 84% of our marine ingredients from certified, sustainable providers.
Our impact in action: We have partnered with multiple FIPs around the world, including in Ecuador, Panama, the Northeast Atlantic and off the coast of Mauritania in Northwest Africa. During 2023, nearly one third of our marine ingredients were sourced from an FIP. That number is bound to grow with the launch of a new FIP in Chile.
Cargill has been a cornerstone partner in development of the Fisheries Improvement Fund. Their commitment to pay a volume-based fee was critical to enabling the launch of the FIF and will provide necessary support for implementation of the pilot FIP in Chile.”
4. Technology that helps make shrimp feeds just right
Bringing together our micronutrition and health experts with our data science and research capabilities, we are helping shrimp farmers in Ecuador handle hard-to manage hurdles like heavy rainfall.
The challenge: Even as we work with customers to mitigate climate impact in aquaculture supply chains, the context in which they operate is constantly shifting: both in the fishing industry and in the world at large.
Our approach: We’re leaning on Cargill’s broad global capabilities for Research and Development (R&D). From world-class facilities to expertise across a wide range of food and agriculture systems to a 2,500-strong workforce of specialists working every day on the next big breakthrough, we are flexing our innovation muscle to help our customers.
Our impact in action: Intense, sudden rainfall is an issue for shrimp farmers. Heavy rainfall can affect the levels of crucial minerals in shrimp ponds, which can hamper the animals’ growth and even increase mortality. Bringing together our micronutrition and health experts with our data science and research capabilities, we’ve developed a solution: Our ADAPT Osmo technology monitors and provides the right balance of supplements to help shrimp adapt to ionic imbalances, keeping them strong and healthy.
Similarly, we’re helping salmon farmers be more efficient with FLOW technology. In waterborne feeding systems, the feed spends several minutes in the water before being delivered to fish, which leads to a loss of nutrients. FLOW is a patented coating process that helps keep pellets intact until just the right moment. Tests show that FLOW can cut nutrient loss by half.
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