Today, there are various questions to address from how to tackle global challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, water scarcity, waste, and pollution, to how to build a resilient model, good for business, people, and the planet. The circular economy model helps address these stakes by applying three principles: reduce waste, circulate products, and regenerate nature (Ellen Macarthur Foundation).
Circular economy
Symrise Aqua Feed specializes in developing, testing, and manufacturing sustainable ingredients and palatability enhancers that help aquafeed manufacturers produce high-performance diets and feed with a low carbon footprint. The company employs a circular model to bring marine co-products to their highest value. bThis helps the industry tackle challenges for morebsustainable aquafeed. Here we discuss how theirnsolutions can create value for the aquaculture industryn (Fig. 1).bSymrise Aqua Feed’s activity forms part of a virtuous model. It collects organic leftovers from the fish and shrimp processing industry, and circulates valuable products along the aquaculture value chain, participating in nature regeneration. This sustainable life cycle of the products comes with a low carbon footprint (Fig. 1).
100% co-product raw materials
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), about a third of all food produced around the globe is lost or wasted. It seems simply unthinkable to continue to lose so many valuable nutrients. Symrise Aqua Feed collects raw materials such as shrimp heads, tuna viscera, tilapia heads and bones or other marine byproducts, which are not used for human consumption. At the same time, these wastes contain many precious proteins, which may have been previously discarded. The company collects more than 30,000 tonnes of these byproducts annually in its three manufacturing sites in Costa Rica, Ecuador and Thailand. These sites are located next to the plants where fish and shrimp are processed, guaranteeing the freshness of the raw material. The locations also help optimize the logistics and minimize the carbon footprint of the raw material transport. Symrise Aqua Feed ensures that all suppliers follow the principles of responsible and sustainable sourcing, building on our Supplier Code of Conduct and program of certification. Also, by using byproducts, fewer wild stocks need to be caught, which would otherwise go into the fish feed. Incidentally, it reduces the pressure on marine resources.