Case studies – Commitments

Under the section “Plan”, the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions – Guidance for Companies on Environmentally and Socially Responsible Seafood provides anonymous real-world examples of environmental and social commitments on seafood provided by a range of seafood supply chain stakeholders (large food service and retailers, importers, and processors).

Although focused on seafood, these can be applied, adapted, or provide inspiration in addressing the climate change and environmental impacts of aquaculture feed and the ingredients it contains.

Climate Change

• Tesco has committed and set science-based targets to be carbon neutral across their operations by 2035 and reach net zero across their whole footprint by 2050. 
• Of relevance to feed, this includes reducing their absolute scope 3* emissions from their forest, land, and agriculture (FLAG) emissions by 39% by 2032 from a 2019 baseline year.
• In 2023, they became one of the first companies globally to have their Forests, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) and non-FLAG net zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) allowing them to communicate and demonstrate progress on reaching these targets.
• They also support all suppliers to establish net-zero ambitions and set science-based targets.

*Other farmed seafood supply chain members, including feed companies, that have committed to or set verified climate change targets under the SBTi include 

Aldi, Asda, Bigmama-Seafood, Cargill, Carrefour, Charoen Pokphand Foods, Grieg Seafood, Lidl, John Lewis Partnership, Lerøy Seafood, Marks & Spencer, Meijer, Migros, Morrisons, Nestle, Nutreco (Skretting) Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Thai Union (the first global seafood processor to set 1.5 degree celsius aligned short and long-term goals verified by the SBTi), US Foods, Vitapro, and Walmart. 

Environmental (deforestation & biodiversity)

Tesco recognizes the link between deforestation and climate change and how the expansion of soy production (including due to its use in animal feed) has led to deforestation and habitat conversion.

Tesco’s soy sourcing policy outlines how it is committed to:

• All the soy in their supply chains verified as being from deforestation-free regions by December 2025, including all forms of deforestation (legal and illegal) and with a cut-off of 2020.
• Implementing the UK Soy Manifesto commitments and serving as co-chair of the Consumer Goods Forum. 

As part of their marine sustainability strategy, Tesco encourages sustainable feeding practices in the aquaculture industry and is working with key salmon suppliers to scale up the use of alternative ingredients such as algal oil.

Footnotes

Targets are considered ‘science-based’ if they are in line with what the latest climate science says is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement – limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels – SBTi

Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset – UNEP

Net zero means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests for instance – United Nations

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard classifies a company’s GHG emissions into three ‘scopes –  United Nations Global Compact Network, UK

BioMar’s sustainability program and concept on feed is known as BioSustain™.

Under the BioSustain Impact Parameters for the Carbon footprint, BioMar has set company-wide emissions targets to ensure net zero no later than 2050. They have also set verifiable science-based targets through the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).

Climate Change

Targets for 2030 are: 

• Reduce their total feed Greenhouse Gas (GHG) footprint by 1/3 by 2030
• Science-based targets through the SBTi – Aligned with reductions required to keep global warming to less than 1.5°C
• Scope 1 & 2 Net-Zero within their operations by 2045, from a 2020 baseline
• 4.2% year-on-year absolute GHG emissions reduction target (Scope 1 & 2)
• Scope 3 reduction by 30%, from a 2021 baseline

Environmental (deforestation & biodiversity)

Under the BioSustain Impact Parameters for Circular & Restorative ingredients, Biomar have set targets for minimum inclusion levels of circular and restorative ingredients

Targets for 2030 are: 

• 50% circular and restorative ingredients in their feed by 2030
• Decouple feed supply chains from directly competing with food for human consumption
• Increase the use of circular ingredients
• Increase the use of restorative ingredients
• Annual reporting on hotspot raw material (RM) compliance
• Increased evidence-based transparency

Under Biomar’s Responsible Sourcing Policy 

All high-risk vegetable raw materials must be certified to a standard verified as deforestation/conversion-free (DCF). These are: 

• RSPO for palm oil. 
• Soy RMs must be certified under standards benchmarked as conversion-free by the FEFAC soy sourcing guidelines.

BioMar also requires that its vegetable raw material suppliers commit and share their commitments to DCF supply chains. 

BioMar commits to annually source at least 80% of their marine ingredients from MarinTrust, MSC, FIPs (see SFP and others) with recent progress based on validated methodology (SFP or MarinTrust Improver Programme), or trimmings/by-products compliant with the ASC family of standards. 

BioMar’s ambition is to source 100% of its marine ingredients according to the above-mentioned responsible fisheries by 2030.

Sustainability at Thai Union is guided by their sustainability plan, SeaChange® 2030. 

It is based on the five future outcomes and covers sourcing, production, and consumers & community. Embedded within (and often shared across) these five outcomes are the following commitments and associated actions on feed (including aquaculture feed).

• A 42% reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions (across Scopes 1,2, and 3) by 2030 from a 2021 baseline – reaching net zero by 2050 with targets aligned and verified by the SBTi. 
  • Ensure zero deforestation across the supply chain
  • Utilize alternative feed ingredients 

• 100% of soy and palm oil will be certified ensuring zero deforestation and conversion (DCF) across the entire supply chain by 2030
  • Driving the adoption of certified deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) feed across the supply chain
  • Enhancing traceability in high-risk deforestation or land-use change areas 
  • Ensuring all soy used in feed produced by Thai Union Feedmills is certified DCF
• 100% of farmed shrimp and feed is produced responsibly, meeting industry standards, or is in an improvement program that minimizes impact on surrounding ecosystems by 2030
  • Develop new feed formulations and novel ingredients
  • Establish traceability to farm and feed across the whole supply chain
  • Drive the use of certified feed
  • Ensure marine feed ingredients originate from responsibly managed fisheries
  • Ensure agricultural feed ingredients originate from DCF-free sources

The integrated seafood company MOWI commitments to sustainable feed are outlined in its sustainability strategy – MOWI Blue Revolution Plan and also under its policy on sustainable salmon feed.

This includes the following climate change targets, which incorporate those of its feed manufacturing business. These are approved by the SBTi and are published on the SBTi Target dashboard. 

• Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 35% by 2030 and 72% by 2050 from a 2016 base year; and,
• Reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 35% by 2030 and 72% by 2050 from a 2018 base year.

They are also highlighted in MOWI’s integrated annual report, its policy on climate change and energy use, and on the sustainability pages of their website. 

MOWI’s policy on sustainable salmon feed sets multiple sustainability requirements for feed and feed ingredients and includes the following points:

• At the minimum, salmon feed suppliers should be GLOBALG.A.P. or BAP-certified by an accredited certification body;
• All ingredients used in salmon feed (marine and non-marine) shall have a traceability system in place (including the fishery and country of origin for marine ingredients and the country of production and processing for plant-based ingredients. For soy, this will also require volumes per municipality and biome. 
• Marine raw materials shall not originate from Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) catch or from fish species classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature;
• A significant proportion of marine ingredients shall be derived from by-products and downgrades of food fish (e.g.. trimmings); 
• Marine raw materials processed from whole fish shall be sourced from suppliers who adhere to responsible fishery management practices. This involves:
• Prioritizing fishmeal and oil that are responsibly produced according to the MarinTrust Standard and/or produced from fish derived from a Marine Stewardship Council-certified sustainable fishery and/or achieve SFP FishSource wild capture scores ≥ 6 in all categories.
• If volumes, as specified above, are unavailable, the material can be sourced from fisheries that are engaged in time-bound fishery improvement projects (FIPs) that are recognized by MarinTrust and/or the MSC.
• Support efforts to increase the purchase of sustainably sourced vegetable raw materials and to strengthen collaboration with suppliers of agricultural raw materials to promote adherence to good agricultural practice:
• Suppliers of feed raw materials shall comply with recognized crop moratoriums. 
• Vegetable raw materials shall not originate from areas of deforestation. The producer shall also ensure legal use of land and water; respect the needs and rights of smallholders and indigenous people; and, protect workers’ health and rights. These requirements are met for soy certification according to the ProTerra and Roundtable for Responsible Soy (segregated module) standards or their equivalent. 
• Palm oil, if used, shall come from certified sources such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil or equivalent [mass balance supply chain or a higher level of certification (segregated or identity preserved)]. 
• A zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking;
• Seek to diversify its raw material base to achieve independence from individual feed ingredients; and,
• When diversifying its portfolio of non-marine raw materials continue to support the inclusion of ingredients that originate from verified sustainable sources.