
Safeguarding the Planet with Sustainable Aquaculture: How the ASC’s Vision aligns with Davos Discussions
January 20, 2025
One of the key themes at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos is Safeguarding the Planet. At ASC, this mission aligns deeply with our core focus: to transform the industry towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Achieving this goal requires a holistic approach that acknowledges the critical role of every part of the aquaculture supply chain.
Aquaculture offers a sustainable way to feed a growing global population, producing protein with lower greenhouse gas emissions than land-based livestock. However, sustainable growth requires a systems-based approach that spans the entire supply chain, from feed suppliers to retailers. Efforts to reduce aquaculture’s environmental footprint include decreasing reliance on deforestation-linked feed, improving feed efficiency, sourcing sustainable ingredients, reducing farm energy use, and transitioning to renewable energy.
The ASC Feed Standard and upcoming Farm Standard drive the industry toward responsible practices, addressing regulatory, environmental, social, and animal welfare requirements. These standards emphasise greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating deforestation and land use changes, as well as implementing life-cycle management strategies.
We are driving initiatives that address biophysical health, support mangrove restoration efforts, promote climate-friendly global food systems, and reinforce ASC as a trusted partner for feed mills and producers committed to meaningful change.
Addressing Climate Change through innovation
ASC is committed to tackling climate-related challenges holistically, ensuring aquaculture operates within safe boundaries for both local ecosystems and the global environment. Central to this effort is our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Calculator, a key innovation designed for feed mills and producers to estimate carbon footprints with aquaculture-specific considerations. Built on data from the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI), the tool evaluates emissions across the life cycle—covering production, processing, transport of feed ingredients, and on-farm energy use—helping the industry set reduction targets and identify actionable steps toward sustainability.
Core Offerings of the ASC GHG/Climate Programme
- GHG Measurement and Reporting: Under the ASC Feed and Farm Standards, all certified feed mills and farms must measure, report, and manage their energy use and GHG emissions.
- Ecosystem Safeguarding: Protecting and restoring sensitive habitats such as mangroves and wetlands, particularly in shrimp farming, where mangrove deforestation has historically contributed to emissions.
- Sustainable Feed Sourcing: Promoting responsible sourcing of soy and other land-based feed ingredients to reduce deforestation and land conversion pressures.
- Circular Economy Initiatives: Increasing requirements for responsible waste disposal and encouraging biosolid reuse to support circular practices.
- Industry Benchmarks: Establishing reduction benchmarks based on life cycle assessments of aquaculture products, guiding sustainability efforts across the sector.
- By offering tools and standards tailored to the unique challenges of aquaculture, ASC empowers the industry to achieve meaningful climate action while safeguarding ecosystems and promoting sustainable practices.
As we look ahead to 2025, ASC remains committed to celebrating successes with our partners and stakeholders while continuing to drive progress in building a more sustainable, resilient aquaculture industry. Together, we aim to transform the seafood farming industry, addressing environmental and social challenges and creating meaningful, measurable impacts that safeguard the planet for future generations.
If you would like to find out more about our climate action plans or collaborate with us, please contact Ola Luthman, Climate Change Coordinator, ola.luthman@asc-aqua.org
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