Benson Hill, Inc., a food tech company unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants, and Denmark-based BioMar, today announced a strategic collaboration to advance BioMar’s responsible sourcing program by leveraging Benson Hill soy and further assessing its sustainability impact on high-performance aquafeed formulations.
BioMar is sourcing consecutive seasons of Benson Hill ingredients as part of its commitment to build restorative soy supply chains. Feed holds the primary cost in the farming of aquaculture and is the major contributor to its carbon footprint.
Benson Hill advances sustainability goals throughout the ingredient development process – from monitoring regenerative and deforestation-free practices on the farm to producing ingredients that reduce water and energy-intensive protein concentrating steps in processing. Together the companies are assessing how the advantages of Benson Hill ingredients advance BioMar’s sustainability program and reduce the impact of aquaculture farming for BioMar customers.
“BioMar has made a commitment to reduce the impacts of our feeds, and 97 % of the carbon footprint comes from the feed ingredients”, said Morten Holdorff Møjbæk, Global Sourcing Director, BioMar Group.
“With our exit last year from the Russian raw material market, it was important for us to find suppliers committed to working with us to ensure we deliver on our responsible sourcing ambitions. Benson Hill’s closed-loop business model, robust U.S. farmer network, and ability to trace back to seed make them an ideal collaborator.”
The companies expect this collaboration to demonstrate that reducing carbon emissions in the world’s fastest-growing protein sector and meeting market demands for traceability can be achieved at the same time. Consumption of blue foods continues to rise around the world. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, global consumption of blue foods (excluding algae) has increased at an average annual rate of 3 % since 1961, compared with a population growth rate of 1.6 %. In 2020, global aquaculture production reached a record 122.6 million tons.
“By working with a global leader like BioMar, we can help accelerate ongoing efforts in the industry to stand up fully deforestation-free supply chains and decrease the carbon footprint of products consumers love,” said Matt Crisp, Chief Executive Officer of Benson Hill. “Through this joint effort, Benson Hill and BioMar will be able to further research how high-protein, low-oligosaccharide, plant-based ingredients perform in aquaculture feed at scale, and potentially slash the use of one of the biggest contributors of carbon emissions in that supply chain. Stewarding our planetary resources is essential on the journey to accelerate transformation in the global aquaculture industry.”
According to the FAIRR Initiative, a collaborative investor network that raises awareness of the material Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks and opportunities caused by intensive animal protein production, aquafeed production is “associated with the extraction of vast quantities of wild fish, which can lead to overexploitation of stocks.” Research on raw materials, ethically derived from high-protein soy can begin to alleviate this issue. Separately, Benson Hill recently achieved the ProTerra Certification, validating the ESG principles guiding its work to deliver non-GMO ingredients to markets within and outside the United States.
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Biomar, in its effort to continue with its 2030 sustainability agenda, has made progress in defining and developing suppliers that are sustainable and increasingly closer to our production factories.
An all-time low FFDR of 0.37 was reported today in BioMar’s 2024 Sustainability Report. This milestone was reached through the innovative use of alternative ingredients and trimmings, which now represent 55% of the total marine ingredients.
The aquaculture industry has focused on reducing carbon footprints for years, which is a key element of environmental responsibility. An overlooked factor lies beneath the water’s surface. Gases like methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases are greenhouse gases significantly more potent than carbon dioxide. While CO2 has dominated climate discussions, these lesser-known gases may significantly impact the environmental footprint of farmed shrimp.
Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) emissions will be important as the aquaculture industry transitions towards lower-carbon production. These emissions, now tracked under the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), originate from land use and agricultural activities rather than from energy consumption.
Measuring impact is the first step towards reducing it. For years carbon calculations for soy in aquafeed relied on generic data, which does not reflect the reality of responsible farming. In 2019, together with ProTerra, we embarked on a mission to deliver science-backed, verified emissions data for key soy ingredients used in aquafeed.
“Sustainability is both the challenge and opportunity of our time. It’s easy for me to commit to—it just comes naturally. The sustainable approach is for everyone, you just need to change your mindset, “ says Lauris Apsis.
Loch Duart is the first salmon producer in the UK to use the Blue Impact feed, launched by BioMar last year.
Fish oil is a crucial ingredient in aquafeed formulations, valued for its unique nutritional composition, particularly its high levels of essential omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). These fatty acids are vital for the optimal growth, development, and overall well-being of farmed fish. Fish oil not only enhances feed conversion efficiency but also plays a significant role in supporting immune function, reproductive health, and the development of larvae and eggs in broodstock.
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BioMar announced on Wednesday that the General Manager of BioMar Ecuador, Danny Velez, has decided to retire as of May 31st, 2024. BioMar Ecuador’s current Finance Director, Andres Rivadulla, will take over as General Manager.
This is currently the most ambitious designation available through the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) process.
From February, the BioMar Viet Uc joint venture in Vietnam will be headed by Managing Director Duong Anh Tu, who has an extensive commercial experience from the feed and food sector in Asia.