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Since 2022, aquaculture has become the leading source of aquatic animal protein globally, surpassing wild fisheries, according to the FAO. It now drives the growth of seafood production worldwide, a trend expected to accelerate in the coming years.
More than 90% of global marine fish stocks are fully exploited or overexploited, leaving limited potential for increasing wild catches. Aquaculture has therefore become essential to meeting the rising demand for seafood in a sustainable manner. In Western countries, consumers show a strong preference for carnivorous species such as salmon, trout, shrimp, sea bass, and sea bream. Farming these species helps reduce fishing pressure on their wild counterparts, many of which are in decline.
However, this solution comes with a paradox. To farm these fish, large quantities of fish meal and fish oil are needed to meet their high protein and omega-3 requirements. These ingredients are mainly produced from small pelagic species caught in reduction fisheries. In practice, this means fishing certain wild species to feed farmed ones. When not properly managed, such fisheries can exert additional pressure on marine ecosystems and create socio-economic challenges for coastal communities dependent on these resources.
In 2021, several French companies, with the support of Earthworm Foundation, launched the Aquafeed Initiative to improve the sustainability of aquaculture feeds in their aquaculture supply-chains.
The initiative brings together ten companies in a pre-competitive working group that collaborates on practical solutions to reduce the environmental and social impacts of feed ingredients. The group first focused on the salmon sector, given its high reliance on marine resources and importance in European seafood markets.
Observation: Aquafeed production still relies heavily on wild-caught fish, contributing to pressure on marine ecosystems and overfishing. As aquaculture expands to meet growing seafood demand, continuing to depend on finite wild resources for feed is not sustainable.
Mission: To accelerate the transition of European aquaculture supply-chains toward responsible sourcing using more sustainable aquafeeds.
Goal: To reduce the environmental and social impacts of aquafeeds by limiting the use of fish meal and fish oil from forage fisheries, increasing the use of alternative, novel and circular ingredients, ensuring that plant-based ingredients such as soy are not linked to deforestation or ecosystem conversion.
Strategy: To define collective sustainability objectives for aquafeed, engage all key actors in the supply chain (distributors, processors, farmers, feed producers, etc.), implement concrete improvement actions within their supply-chains, and monitor progress through shared indicators.
In 2021, the group conducted a survey on salmon farming in Norway, Scotland, and Chile among the farms supplying the members of the Aquafeed Initiative. The assessment focused on feed practices and animal welfare, providing an initial overview of key sustainability challenges.
In 2022, members defined a set of collective objectives for sustainable aquafeed to be achieved by 2030. These objectives were developed in consultation with key industry stakeholders - salmon producers, feed manufacturers, and technical experts - to ensure feasibility and guide collective action. The members committed to mobilizing the resources needed to achieve these objectives by 2030.
In 2023 and 2024, efforts concentrated on mapping the salmon supply chain, strengthening stakeholder engagement, and supporting the transition toward more responsible feed ingredients. A baseline assessment was carried out to establish reference indicators for feed sustainability. Key group-averaged results include:
Two yearly multi-stakeholder workshops organized in Paris gathered retailers, feed manufacturers, farmers, and ingredient suppliers to exchange on reducing fishmeal and fish oil dependency and broadening the basket of alternative feed ingredients. In parallel, the Initiative developed technical resources on alternative ingredients and commissioned a consumer survey in France to assess public perceptions and acceptance of these innovations. Together, these actions have reinforced the Initiative’s knowledge base and collaboration framework for the next phase of implementation.
These objectives are translated into indicators that will be measured at regular intervals.
The Initiative is now open to any type of company (distributors, processors, farmers or feed manufacturers) aligned with these values, as long as they share the collective objectives.
Building on the work developed over the past two years, the 2025 action plan focuses on strengthening alignment, transparency, and communication to support the adoption of novel and alternative feed ingredients.
Strategic alignment on sourcing requirements
Work with Initiative members and retailers to define a shared strategy for integrating alternative feed ingredients into sourcing requirements. The goal is to ensure a coherent, concerted approach across the value chain that supports market transformation.
Communication & consumer engagement
To support transparency and informed consumer choice:
Stakeholder engagement
Continue dialogue with key stakeholders including NGOs, EU institutions, and consumer advocacy groups to promote constructive conversations around alternative ingredients and how to support a more sustainable aquaculture industry
Expansion to trout
Expand the Initiative’s scope to include trout farming by the end of the year. This will involve identifying key sustainability challenges, setting objectives, and mapping the trout supply chains of Initiative members.
If you would like more information about this initiative, please contact the coordinators:
