Better Aquafeed Blueprint
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Better Aquafeed Blueprint Aquafeed is the biggest opportunity to improve sustainability across the salmon supply chain. © Attasit Saentep/Shutterstock
Better salmon starts with better feed.
The Better Aquafeed Blueprint is creating alignment across the salmon supply chain, empowering companies to collaborate and scale sustainability solutions.
Background
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Salmon consumption has tripled since 1980—and continues to rise
To meet demand, farmed salmon production is expected to increase 40% by 2033. As the sector grows, so does the urgency to address its environmental challenges.
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Aquafeed represents the biggest opportunity for sustainability improvements
Feed typically accounts for 70% of salmon’s carbon footprint—in part because the production of soy, a key ingredient, can contribute to deforestation. Additionally, ingredients like fishmeal and fish oil put pressure on small pelagic fisheries.
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Join the Better Aquafeed Blueprint
By committing to practical, low-cost feed sourcing criteria, feed producers, salmon farmers, and retailers can lead the way to a more sustainable and resilient salmon industry.
Global demand for farmed salmon continues to rise, with production expected to increase by up to 40% by 2033. As the sector grows, so does the urgency to address its environmental impacts. While salmon aquaculture has made notable sustainability improvements over the past several decades, significant challenges remain—particularly in the production and sourcing of aquafeed.
Feedi s the single largest source of salmon aquaculture’s greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for roughly 70% of its total carbon footprint (though this varies by production system and ingredient mix). This can in part, be explained by the use of soy, which makes up 12% to 25% of salmon feed formulations. Soy expansion is driving the conversion of critical South American ecoregions; without global commitments to deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF) sourcing, this means that the aquaculture industry indirectly contributes to land use change and associated emissions.
Fishmeal and fish oil present another sustainability challenge. Though these ingredients have multiple applications, about 80% of the global supply is used in aquaculture. Most fishmeal and fish oil are derived from forage fish—like anchovies—that are low on the food chain. However, forage fish aren’t just an important source of nutrients for aquaculture species; they also are dietary staple of wild fish, birds, and mammals. Because not all forage species fisheries are managed sustainably, the sourcing of these ingredients may have reverberating impacts up the marine food chain and into other sectors.
To keep pace with growth while protecting critical ecosystems, the aquaculture industry must accelerate improvements in feed sustainability. TNC has identified a focused set of high-impact, low-cost salmon feed sourcing criteria designed to help the industry meet its climate and supply‑chain commitments. Our researchers evaluated the feasibility of these sourcing criteria through financial modeling, literature review, and interviews with industry leaders. The results show that adopting more sustainable feed ingredients is practical, scalable, and cost-effective.
Feed producers, salmon farmers, and retailers can commit to improved feed sourcing criteria—and create the momentum to accelerate adoption across the industry.
Summary of Feed Criteria
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- 100% certified, beginning with a stepwise improvement pathway
- 100% electronic monitoring
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- Soy product: 100% verifiable deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF)
- Soy supplier: Must have 2025 DCF commitment, progress reporting, and data verification
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- Life cycle assessments (LCAs) for all new ingredients
- Inclusion to drive down forage fish dependency ratio (FFDR) to <1 for both fishmeal and fish oil
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- LCA measurements using globally recognized methodology
- Carbon footprint for feed does not exceed upper limit per kilogram (to be determined by Working Group)
How Can Companies Get Involved?
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Join the Aquafeed Working Group
Stakeholders will join a pre-competitive working group aimed at developing solutions to sourcing bottlenecks, expanding the availability of raw materials, and communicating progress to industry. The group will have a collective goal of 100% criteria implementation by 2030 for all members.
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Apply criteria to sourcing or production
We ask that you commit to implementing the requirements in the blueprint into your supply chain by 2030. For feed producers, this means producing all feed according to the criteria. For salmon farmers and retailers, this means adopting the criteria as sourcing specifications when procuring feed and salmon, respectively.
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Help Transform the Salmon Industry
In collaboration with stakeholders across the supply chain, the Better Aquafeed Blueprint is promoting a more sustainable future for salmon farming. Learn more about how your company can participate—and help lead an industry‑wide transformation.
