Guide to Using the Feed Solutions Toolkit

We recommend that first-time users follow these three steps.

1. Learn more about tools and initiatives offered by reviewing the Overview of Tool Types section included on this page.
2. Search for and review the advice for each of these tool types in the Toolkit.
3. Search for and review the case studies for each of these tool types in the Toolkit.

You will need to know:

• Whether all the compound feed used in your supply chain adheres to a standard that provides assurance on all the ingredients it contains (where all equals >1% inclusion rate); or,
• Whether all the individual ingredients used in your compound feed adhere to standards or are involved in improvements.

If not, you will need to know

• Whether all the compound feed used in your supply chain adheres to a standard that provides assurance on some or the majority of the ingredients it contains.

All of this will require identifying the feed manufacturers in your supply chain and reviewing their sustainability commitments.

For any remaining ingredients not covered by standards or involved in improvements, you will need to know.

• What these remaining ingredients are and where they come from.

Once again this will require identifying the feed manufacturers in your supply chain, and in this case, requesting information about the sources of all remaining aquaculture feed ingredients, down to the fishery or jurisdiction level for terrestrial ingredients.

In parallel,  you should establish and publicly commit to ultimately only using low-risk feed or feed ingredients, describe how you will do this, and set targets accordingly. Use the Toolkit for advice, case studies, and tools on commitments.

What’s next?

From here, you can determine if your compound feed and all the ingredients it contains are low-risk or on a pathway to becoming low-risk and report on your progress toward this goal.

You will need to know

• Whether the compound feed used in your farmed products is covered by a standard that ensures that all ingredients (where all equals >1% inclusion rate) are low-risk or on a pathway to achieving this. Use the Toolkit to identify standards covering all feed ingredients; or,
• Whether all individual ingredients in your feed are covered by standards that ensure they are low-risk. Use the Toolkit to identify standards covering individual feed ingredients.

If this is not the case, you will need to know

• Whether the compound feed used in your farmed products is covered by a standard that ensures that the majority of feed ingredients are low-risk or on a pathway to achieving this. Use the Toolkit to identify standards covering select feed ingredients.

For any feed ingredients in your supply chain not covered by standards you will need to know

• Whether these remaining ingredients are low-risk. Use the Toolkit to identify risk assessment tools for all or individual feed ingredients.

If they aren’t currently low-risk, you will need to know

• If they are on a pathway to achieving this. Use the Toolkit to identify improvement tools for all or individual feed ingredients.
• If not, these sources should be improved. Use your influence and voice to achieve this. Use the Toolkit to identify improvement tools for all or individual feed ingredients.

For all

• Ensure that your commitments, progress, and achievements on feed are recognized and verified. Use the Toolkit to identify monitoring and reporting tools for all or individual feed ingredients.

• That compound feed adheres to a standard guaranteeing that all ingredients used in its manufacture are low-risk concerning climate change, environmental, and social issues, or are on a pathway to achieving this;

Or

• That compound feed adheres to a standard guaranteeing that the majority of ingredients used in its manufacture are low-risk concerning climate change, environmental, and social issues, or are on a pathway to achieving this; and, that the remaining/outstanding ingredients are low-risk or on a pathway to achieving this.

Or

• That each feed ingredient is low-risk or on a pathway to achieving this.

AND

• That feed and the ingredients it contains are included in greenhouse gas and environmental footprint calculations within the supply chain – and these calculations are publicly reported.

“Low-risk” for compound feed or its ingredients can mean:

• Deforestation and Land Conversion: Ingredients have a low risk of contributing to deforestation or land conversion, and are not in contradiction to legislation such as the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
• Sustainable Fisheries: Ingredients come from well-managed fisheries or those on a pathway to improvement, with low risk of IUU fishing and with minimal impact on endangered, threatened, and protected species.
• Human Rights and Social Issues: Ingredients are sourced with low risk of human rights abuses, such as forced and child labor, and other social concerns.
• Environmental Footprint: Feed (and aquaculture product) suppliers actively calculate, monitor, and demonstrate progress in reducing their greenhouse gas and environmental footprint.

Targets should have clear deadlines, and comply with relevant laws. They will also depend on how advanced the sustainability commitments of your feed manufacturers are.

Examples, depending on your situation, include:

Traceability

• Archive 100 percent (or as close as possible) traceability of high-risk feed ingredients like marine fisheries, soy, and palm oil to the fishery or jurisdiction-level, or to a level where the risk can be identified;
• Achieve 100 percent (or as close as possible) traceability of all feed ingredients to the fishery or jurisdiction-level, or to a level where the risk can be identified;

Due diligence

Ensure that compound feed and its ingredients are low-risk or on track to becoming low-risk. Specifically:

• Terrestrial ingredients are free from deforestation and land conversion.
• Marine ingredients come from well-managed or improving fisheries, are free from IUU fishing, and have minimal impact on endangered, threatened, and protected species.
• All ingredients are at low risk of human rights abuses, including forced and child labor, and other social issues.
• The greenhouse gas and environmental footprints of the feed in your supply chain can be measured and are being reduced.

Developing clear company goals and commitments is the fundamental first step in establishing sustainable and ethical aquaculture supply chains.

Goals regarding aquaculture feed aim to safeguard natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and other environmental concerns. While social issues such as human and community rights are not the primary focus of this Toolkit, they can also be encompassed within these goals.

Company commitments and policies formalize these intentions into specific, time-bound actions and outcomes.

Use the Toolkit’s Commitments filter to access tools, organizations, advice, and case studies related to company goals and commitments, including those concerning feed ingredients.

To gain the most from this Toolkit, it is essential to know both the ingredients used in your aquaculture feed and the origins of those ingredients.

The major sustainability risks linked to feed typically occur at the sites of production or capture. Identifying the sources of various ingredients used in feed production is crucial for understanding associated risks and identifying areas for improvement.

Use the Toolkit’s Traceability filter to access tools, organizations, advice, and case studies focused on traceability within the seafood supply chain, including considerations regarding feed ingredients.

Once you have identified the sources of your feed ingredients, the next step is to assess whether they pose any climate change or environmental risks and whether they align with your existing commitments. A risk assessment can help your company identify potential challenges and guide and prioritize actions.

Use the Toolkit’s Risk assessments filter to explore tools, organizations, advice, and case studies that help evaluate climate change and environmental risks associated with aquaculture feed and its ingredients.

Accepted, third-party standards can help your company provide greater assurance to customers that various risks, including climate change, environmental, and other concerns, have been addressed and that your sources are low-risk.

Use the Toolkit’s Standards filter to identify organizations that have established standards related to climate change and environmental risks.

The results of risk assessments can be used to inform the development and prioritization of improvements. SFP strongly recommends engaging in actions that address and improve any identified risks associated with your feed or feed ingredients, rather than switching sources.

Use the Toolkit’s Improvements filter to identify organizations, advice, and case studies geared toward mitigating climate change and environmental risks through pre-competitive, primarily sector-specific strategies.

Use the Toolkit’s Improvements – Landscape and jurisdictional approaches filter to find organizations providing guidance, support, or involvement in broader, cross-sectoral strategies.

Collecting data to evaluate progress, performance, and compliance enables your company to manage and track performance relative to sustainability commitments, market demands, or regulatory requirements.

This information can also inform your company’s decision-making and improvement processes and can be shared with buyers, investors, the public, and other stakeholders to demonstrate transparency and accountability and highlight performance.

Use the Toolkit’s Monitoring and reporting filter to identify organizations, advice, and case studies offering guidance or providing tools and platforms, including verification platforms.