THE NEXT F3 Challenge: Farms

This fifth F3 Challenge will move up the supply chain closer to the customer. Its goal is to recognize and reward farms that successfully produce and sell the most farmed fish fed without any marine animal ingredients—including, but not limited to: no fishmeal, fish oil, krill, squid or clams.

By placing the emphasis on the farm, this challenge aims to offer consumers more responsibly fed seafood choices. As fish producers go to market, and advertise the differences, consumer awareness of the role feed ingredients play in sustainable seafood production will increase. Fish farmers are in the driver’s seat and our hope is that some day, responsibly-fed fish, without marine animal ingredients, will be preferred and as well understood, as “insect-fed” chicken or “grass-fed” beef.

As in prior challenges, we do not explicitly oppose the use of ‘waste to feed’ or the use of fish or krill or other marine byproducts, but maintain the goal of marine animal-ingredient free feeds because it is easier to test because of the difficulty of distinguishing marine byproducts from wild catch. The goal of ‘marine animal ingredient free’ also pushes the bounds of technology, and facilitates food security as it encourages the development of novel ingredients and alternative sources of nutrition that will be needed if wild-caught ingredients continue to decline.