Camanchaca, BioMar and Skretting in feed sustainability pledge

18-Feb-2021 - Last updated on 18-Feb-2021 at 16:07 GMT

Chilean salmon producer, Salmones Camanchaca, has signed a standards agreement with leading companies, BioMar and Skretting, with the aim of mitigating the environmental and social risks associated with salmon feed production.

The agreement looks to the fish feed supply over the next two years, and it focuses on reducing GHG emissions, incorporating raw materials that are not linked to deforestation of native forests and on ensuring the greater use of renewable energy.

Camanchaca wants to become carbon neutral by 2025.

Alfredo Tello, sustainability manager at Salmones Camanchaca, said “feed production is a significant component of the social and environmental footprint of salmon farming, due to the diversity of raw materials and supply chains involved in its production. To actively contribute to the sustainable development of salmon farming, it is essential to work in alliance with our feed suppliers, and this commitment is a big step in that direction.”

Goals of the agreement

The initiative, a first in the Chilean salmon industry, requires BioMar and Skretting, to publish a plan during the first quarter of 2021 that contains four specific targets:

Formulate diets using raw materials that have not contributed to the deforestation of native forests anywhere in the world.
Agree greenhouse gas reduction targets, in accordance with the guidelines from the Science Based Targets Initiative.
Use 100% renewable energy.
Implement a life cycle analysis method that selects ingredients for fish diets on the basis of reducing their overall impact on the environment.

Skretting and Biomar must indicate targets, deadlines and KPIs, as well as attach accreditations if applicable.

Reducing GHG emissions

Trygve Berg Lea, director of sustainability at Skretting Global, said the feed group is committed to achieving the sustainability goals of all of its customers.

“We are committed to achieving the sustainability targets adopted by each customer. Skretting’s parent company Nutreco has made a worldwide commitment to establish Science Based Targets that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, Skretting Chile has recently signed an agreement for a 100% renewable energy supply, together with other initiatives involving health and welfare, climate, circularity and good citizenship. These initiatives will support Camanchaca to reach its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2025.”

In April 2020, Nutreco joined 850 other leading companies by signing a letter of commitment with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) indicating that it would work to set a science-based emission reduction target. A global collaboration between CDP, the World Resources Institute, WWF and the UN Global Compact, the SBTI champions science-based target setting to boost companies’ competitive advantage in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

According to the SBTI process, companies first publicly commit to setting Science Based Targets (SBT). After that, they have two years to set reduction targets for Scope 1, 2 and 3 CO2 emissions: Scope 1 relates to energy generated on-site, Scope 2 relates to energy purchased and Scope 3 covers energy use that takes in the supply chain. Finally, participating companies pledge to report on their progress annually.

Ronald Barlow, CEO at Skretting Chile, added: “Our business uses internal processes that reduce water and fuel use and focus on reducing and reusing materials such as plastic and pallets. We monitor our CO2 emissions and our carbon footprint, and regularly report them to our head office in Norway. We are planning a major investment in 2021, which will optimize the use of thermal energy based on alternative sources. All these initiatives aim to reduce our impact on the environment and demonstrate our commitment and our achievements within the global aquaculture industry supply chain.”

BioMar global sustainability director, Vidar Gundersen, said the Danish feed group has long been committed not only to vital goals such as a reduction in GHG emissions, preventing eutrophication, and ensuring a deforestation-free supply chain, but also to the incorporation of alternative, more sustainable raw materials in feed.

“We have been analyzing our feed life cycle for several years, in order to make well-informed sourcing decisions. We are proud of the progress achieved with companies such as Salmones Camanchaca on this journey towards sustainability.”