From its nutritional profile to its traceable sourcing and regenerative potential, soy is redefining what it means to feed the future of aquaculture. Soy is a nutritional cornerstone in modern aquafeeds, offering a range of performance-enhancing benefits:
Growth and development: Rich in essential amino acids, soy promotes healthy tissue formation and immune function.
Efficient feed conversion: Fish fed soy-based diets convert protein to body mass with impressive efficiency.
Digestibility and consistency: Soy protein concentrate offers superior digestibility and consistent quality compared to traditional fishmeal.
Stable supply: Unlike fishmeal, which depends on wild catch, soy is cultivated globally and is available year-round.
Certified and Transparent
Sustainability isn’t just about what goes into the feed—it’s about where it comes from. Leading soy producers are stepping up:
ProTerra certified soy: Sourced from Brazil and the USA, this certification ensures non-GMO, deforestation-free, and socially responsible practices.
Donau Soja: European producers committed to traceable, sustainable soy cultivation.
Traceability matters: Aquafeed manufacturers now use integrated traceability systems that track soy from the farm to the feed mill including transportation and storage. This ensures transparency and accountability across the supply chain.
Soy’s role in aquafeeds isn’t just about performance, it’s also about environmental responsibility. Here’s how soy stacks up:
Carbon footprint: Varies tremendously depending on country of origin and processing methods. Soy grown under regenerative practices in Europe or the U.S. tends to have a significantly lower footprint than soy linked to deforestation.
GMO free soy: We solely use GMO-free soy in our aquafeeds. This means our soy is sourced exclusively from non-genetically modified crops, ensuring full traceability and compliance with strict quality standards.
Circular and restorative potential: When cultivated under regenerative agriculture systems, soy can help restore soil health, increase biodiversity, and sequester carbon.
FFDR advantage: Soy is a cornerstone of low Fish meal and Fish Oil Dependency Ratio (FFDR) diets. By replacing fish meal with soy protein concentrate, aquafeeds reduce pressure on wild fish stocks and support more circular, resource-efficient food systems.
Fun Facts:
- Nearly 98% of the world’s soybean meal is used in animal feed—including aquafeeds.
- Soybeans are one of the few plant proteins that contain all nine essential amino acids—making them a complete protein source for fish and humans alike!
- NASA has studied soybeans as a potential crop for space missions due to their high protein content and versatility.
- As legumes, soy plants enrich the soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
- Beyond food and feed, soybeans contribute to renewable energy through soy-based biodiesel production.