Cargill continues to make measureable progress in its aqua nutrition business against its key sustainability indicators, according to its annual sustainability report issued today.
The Cargill Aqua Nutrition sustainability report is an integrated report prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards’ core option and captures important performance measures on environmental and social indicators.
For the first time since Cargill’s acquisition of EWOS in 2015, the company introduces its whole aqua nutrition business and commits to extending reporting to all dedicated aqua feed facilities in 2017.
“We have worked on extending sustainability practices from EWOS across Cargill Aqua Nutrition and engaging the broader business,” said Einar Wathne, President of Cargill Aqua Nutrition. “Now, as Cargill, we are uniquely positioned to leverage our scale, global insights and relationships to lead in developing sustainable supply chains.”
The sustainability report is based on a value chain approach, which broadens the perspective of sustainability beyond the direct impact of its operations and into the wider societal impacts.
Highlights from the sustainability performance in 2016 include:
Safety first
Safety – for employees, contractors, customers, suppliers and communities – has priority over productivity and profits at Cargill. In 2016, Cargill Aqua Nutrition further strengthened its emphasis on this critical aspect of its performance. Cargill Aqua Nutrition saw a 25 percent reduction in injury rate and a 65 percent reduction in lost time injuries since 2013.
Using more fish trimmings
Cargill Aqua Nutrition is committed to reducing dependency on forage fish through use of co-products from fisheries, including fish trimmings. The company works with suppliers to develop quality ingredients. Trimmings meals and oil provided 33 percent of total marine ingredients in 2016 – up from 32 percent in 2013 and 21 percent in 2010. Use of trimmings leverages resources that would otherwise go to waste.
Ninety percent of our marine raw materials were certified to IFFO RS in 2016.
Deforestation free soy
Cargill Aqua Nutrition is increasing efforts to source soy from responsible supply chains. In 2016, more than 73 percent of all soy products sourced were deforestation-free and certified by Pro Terra, a not-for-profit organisation that advances and promotes sustainability at all levels of the feed and food production. All of the soy material sourced for Norway and Scotland were ProTerra certified. Cargill is exploring more options in other countries as new certification schemes become available.
New raw materials
With limited volumes of marine-based ingredients available globally, Cargill continues its innovation of fishmeal and fish oil replacements to enable the continued growth of aquaculture. While fish oil remains the major source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids - valued for their benefits on both human health and fish health - Cargill is innovating new sources of omega-3. Examples include algae meals and oils and a new type of genetically modified rapeseed which promotes sustainable nutrition.
On the protein side, Cargill has invested in a new venture with Calysta to produce Calysta’s FeedKind, an innovative protein made from natural gas as the carbon source. Material is already being produced at a pilot facility in the UK and will be available at scale from 2019.
Aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a global partnership for development. As a major feed producer and contributor to food production, Cargill Aqua Nutrition is positioned to positively impact several of the SDGs, and is aligning its sustainability management and reporting to these goals.
“Cargill Aqua Nutrition is a world leader in aquaculture feed and nutrition. To deliver on our promise on healthy seafood for future generations, we commit to sustainable growth of the global aquaculture industry by creating better operations in a better workplace with better supply chains,” said Einar Wathne.
The Cargill Aqua Nutrition Sustainability Report for 2016 is available here.
