The relationship between diet and health is becoming increasingly evident, particularly in the context of seafood. The nutritional value of farmed fish and shrimp is directly influenced by their feed, making high-quality aquafeed crucial for producing nutritious seafood sustainably.
Seafood offers essential nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals that support heart health and brain function. Like humans, aquatic animals require balanced diets to ensure they provide these nutrients effectively. Thus, aquafeeds must be carefully formulated to meet the specific nutritional needs of farmed seafood.
The industry faces the challenge of maintaining nutritional value while enhancing feed formulation. Traditionally reliant on marine ingredients from wild fish, aquafeeds are now incorporating new ingredients like microalgae, omega-enriched crops, insect meals, and seafood processing by-products. These innovations aim to reduce environmental impact without compromising nutrition.
Looking ahead, further advancements in ingredient development and feed technology will shape the future of aquafeed. The focus will remain on balancing nutrition with efficiency and environmental responsibility.
A key aspect of reducing environmental impact involves measuring it accurately. Historically reliant on generic data for carbon calculations in soy-based aquafeed ingredients, a collaboration with ProTerra began in 2019 to provide science-backed emissions data.
As the aquaculture industry moves towards lower-carbon production, tracking Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) emissions becomes vital. These emissions originate from land use rather than energy consumption. Although carbon dioxide has been a primary focus in climate discussions, other potent greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide also significantly affect farmed shrimp’s environmental footprint.