Whilst Norwegian salmon has been fed purely certifiably non-deforestation grown soya for years, the industry has joined forces using their market power to drive broader change and end the trade of deforestation soya to other industries.
This year, the industry has successfully pushed for bold changes in the supply chains for soya, one of the most important vegetable components of salmon feed as well as other animal protein production. Earlier this year, all the Brazilian soy suppliers to the Norwegian salmon farming industry announced implementation of a 100 percent deforestation and conversion free soybean value chain with 2020 as their cut-off date. This means no soy grown on land deforested after this date will be traded.
As a result, the soy fed to Norwegian salmon is not only certified, but also supplied by Brazilian vendors with 100 percent deforestation and conversion free soybean value chains.
The salmon feed industry has been going through major developments in recent years, moving from feeds high in marine ingredients to a more vegetable-based diet, and in recent years also increasingly introducing novel yet highly nutritious ingredients from algae and insects. Providing the growing salmon a diet rich in nutrients, and at the same time ensuring the raw materials going into the feed are responsibly sourced, has been a growing focus for the Norwegian salmon industry.
Norwegian salmon feed is already completely non-GMO, free from antibiotics, and marine ingredients are sourced from certifiably sustainable sources and strictly controlled for any unwanted substances.
According to the press release announcing the commitment, it is the first time an animal protein industry has set such a voluntary and sector wide benchmark, and they are hoping to inspire other global protein industries to follow in their footsteps.
All the producers in Brazil who supply soy to the Norwegian salmon industry have committed to the cut-off, which was set for August 2020. Together with the sustainability owner ProTerra and WWF Brazil, the soy suppliers have agreed on a robust monitoring, reporting and verification system to implement and enforce their commitment to zero deforestation. ■