Feed Meal: Nurturing Sustainability in the Shrimp Aquaculture Industry
Pamela Nath and Sally Tabares
June, 2024
Nowadays, much like many other food systems, aquaculture faces a dual sustainability challenge.
On one hand, there is a need to increase aquaculture production to meet the food demand of a growing population. On the other hand, the industry faces the task of reducing the environmental impact of its production to mitigate climate change.
billion people will inhabit the world in 2050. It is estimated that the global demand for protein will double by that year.
of seafood available for human consumption will come from aquaculture by the year 2030.
Source: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
For this reason, the Aquaculture Working Group on Environmental Footprint, led by the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and involving the participation of the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP), continues to work on understanding, measuring, and reducing the environmental footprint of aquaculture throughout the supply chain.
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In 2017, feed meal production constituted 57% of the total GHG emissions derived from aquaculture.
“The sustainability of feed begins with the raw materials.”
Helen Ann Hamilton
Global Sustainability Manager at BioMar
“The sustainability of feed begins with the raw materials,” informs BioMar’s Global Sustainability Manager, Helen Ann Hamilton.
In this company specialized in manufacturing feed for aquaculture, 97% of GHG emissions come from the production, growth, and harvesting of these components.
“Therefore, to improve the sustainability of our feed, we must strictly measure and monitor the sustainability performance of each individual ingredient using scientific environmental assessment tools,” maintains Hamilton, who is also a Ph.D. in Industrial Ecology.
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Feed mill plants employ various scientific tools to understand the carbon footprint of their ingredients, and one of them is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
This method proves to be the most suitable and comprehensive approach for identifying critical points of environmental impact throughout the product life cycle, which could be mitigated or compared with various alternatives, according to the study “Effects of feed formula and farming system on the environmental performance of shrimp production chain from a life cycle perspective” published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology.
Among the ingredients that most influence the carbon footprint of feed are soy, palm oil, fishmeal, fish oil, and krill meal.
From a greenhouse gas perspective, Hamilton asserts that the agricultural commodities are the main contributors to the carbon footprint.
The expert explains that most shrimp feed recipes contain approximately 70% plant ingredients. Additionally, she specifies that the raw materials used in feed, which are associated with sustainability issues, vary depending on the feed recipe, age of the shrimp, and local sourcing practices.
Among the ingredients that significantly impact the carbon footprint of feed, Hamilton mentions soy products, palm oil, fish meal, fish oil, and krill meal. “We closely monitor these raw materials to ensure that we have the appropriate sourcing practices in place to guarantee and document that they are responsibly sourced,” she details.
“Sustainability certifications mark the starting point in the raw material sourcing process.”
Karina Briones
Quality Manager at Skretting Latam
Rivera indicates that the systems they implement to ensure sustainability at Nicovita, Vitapro’s brand specializing in nutritional solutions for shrimp and fish, include strategies at both the operational level and the responsible sourcing of raw materials throughout their value chain.
An example of this is the Sustainable Sourcing Program, where Vitapro collaborates with its suppliers for the optimization and certification of key ingredients. This has resulted in the development of diets containing fishmeal that is 100% certified by MarinTrust or the Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP).
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“Knowing the origin of the ingredients we use as raw materials is vital for assessing and managing the environmental impact associated with feed production. It allows us to work on reducing the impacts generated by transportation by choosing closer sources when available, optimizing transport routes, and promoting more sustainable agricultural practices among our suppliers,” adds Rivera.
“Knowing the origin of the ingredients we use as raw materials is vital for assessing and managing the environmental impact associated with feed production.”
Maria Alejandra Rivera
Sustainable Development Manager at Vitapro
- incorporating by-products into the diets to reduce pressure on scarce resources;
- sustainable innovation to develop products, practices, and technologies that help decrease feed conversion (FCR), increase digestibility and feed efficiency;
- contribute to the care of the cultivation environment;
and the adoption and promotion of sustainable standards and certifications.
This US-based company employs fermentation to recycle by-products from agricultural processing, such as soybean meal and dried distillers grains, to produce an ingredient for commercial diets that is easily digestible and reduces reliance on less functional and less sustainable ingredients, such as fishmeal.
“Houdek itself was founded as a mechanism for the sustainable production of feed. A conversation between innovators with an eye for conservation and the knowledge to create change led to the fermentation technology that upcycles soybean meal to a safe, high-quality protein source for terrestrial animals and aquaculture,” expresses Stephanie Armstead, Director of Sustainability at Houdek.
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“Houdek itself was founded as a mechanism for the sustainable production of feed.”
Stephanie Armstead
Sustainability Director at Houdek
“We source soybean meal from local entities processing soybeans grown on the Great Plains, most of them within our home state of South Dakota. Soybean meal sourced by Houdek is produced in compliance with the United States Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP)”, Armstead comments.
“At SSP, we have associated members who, despite not being direct shrimp producers, are committed to sustainable production, significantly contributing to our efforts. From suppliers to academics, they bring their expertise and resources to drive sustainability in the industry,” she continues.
“Sustainability in shrimp aquaculture is a collective effort that involves the entire value chain.”
Pamela NAth
Director at the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership
Above all, it is important for consumers to be aware that feed plants are prepared to offer solutions and adapt diets according to customer preferences, especially those that prioritize sustainability.
To make these sustainable practices a standard in the industry, it is crucial that the market supports and values diets that promote sustainability. This involves recognizing that, although they may have a higher initial cost due to specific requirements, promoting these practices is an investment in the future of the planet and the industry, as well as in the quality of our products.