Sunday, June 24, 2018

25/06/2018: Committing to sustainability

by Vaughn Entwistle, Features Editor, International Aquafeed

Cargill Animal Nutrition was established in 1893. In October 2015, Cargill acquired EWOS, one of the world's largest suppliers of feed and nutrition. This gave Cargill access to the expertise and knowledge base in salmon feed that EWOS was renowned for, and gave EWOS access to a global footprint, wider nutrition expertise, new ingredients, global supply chains, and greater market insight.

EWOS is the primary go-to-market brand for Cargill’s aquafeed for fish and shrimp; however, some feed is also distributed under the Purina and Provimi brands in certain markets.
 


Sustainability is a word on the lips of many major companies these days, although some are only paying lip service to the idea. Contrast that with agri-giant Cargill, which in April 2018, issued a report detailing the company’s bold and ambitious commitment to sustainability across its entire supply chain.

The report came about as the result of a sustainability summit attended by 40 representatives of Cargill and their customers, as well as representatives of other important stakeholders in the food and feed supply chain.

International Aquafeed Magazine sat down with a representative from Cargill to find out more about this forward-thinking initiative:

So which came first? Did consumer demand drive Cargill’s decision to focus on sustainability? Or did Cargill’s commitment to sustainability drive consumer demand for its products?

It’s hard to say which came first, but Cargill recognised that smart companies invest in ensuring the sustainability of their operations to remain relevant to an increasingly informed consumer base. We believe in supply chain transparency as a means to build trust amongst all stakeholders that are involved in or benefit from global food systems.

One of the good side-effects of this is that sustainability is a key driver of innovation and we see many opportunities to continue to innovate in different and interesting ways. For example to remain compliant in a world where the regulatory landscape can change fast. To look beyond the direct impact of your own operations and become more involved in the upstream and downstream supply chains. And through designing and developing products and services that appeal to consumer preference for eco-friendly offerings.

Feeds based on the ‘1990’s diet formulations could not be made in such high tonnages and at such prices – there simply is not enough fishmeal and oil to satisfy the needs of today. Back then, it was not unusual to find salmon feed that comprised two-thirds of marine ingredients from fishmeal and fish oil, but these days the formula contains two-thirds of plant proteins (mainly soya) & plant oils (such as rapeseed or soya oils) in addition to micronutrients. A significant proportion of these plant materials are by-products themselves, upgrading waste streams into valuable nutrients.


Read the full article, HERE.

The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by
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