A recent peer-reviewed study published in Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture highlights the urgent need for the aquaculture industry to adopt circular economy principles in fish feed formulation.
Authored by Dr. Brett Glencross, technical director at the Marine Ingredients Organisation trade group IFFO, alongside seven leading scientists and industry representatives, the paper titled Toward Applying a Circularity Framework Against the Use of Aquaculture Feed Ingredients calls for a fundamental reevaluation of how feed ingredients are selected, sourced, and assessed.
Feed production represents a significant portion of aquaculture’s environmental footprint. In salmon farming, for example, feed-related activities account for up to 80% of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions. Traditional feed formulations have heavily relied on fishmeal and fish oil derived from small pelagic fish, raising concerns over overfishing, biodiversity loss, and competition with human food supplies. While plant-based alternatives have been increasingly adopted, they introduce new challenges, including land-use pressures and deforestation associated with certain crops.
The study advocates for a circular approach to feed design that minimizes reliance on food-grade resources, reduces land use, maximizes locally sourced ingredients, and ensures nutritional adequacy for farmed species. Achieving this requires a holistic view of feed formulation that incorporates lifecycle assessments and considers environmental, economic, and social dimensions simultaneously. Circular feed principles aim not only to lower the ecological impact of aquaculture but also to create resilient and regionally integrated supply chains.
By integrating circular economy principles into feed formulation, the aquaculture industry can mitigate environmental impacts while contributing to global food security.
