Minneapolis, Minnesota-based agricultural giant Cargill, a major aquafeed producer, has announced a partnership with The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute to develop high-performance fish feed for recirculating aquaculture systems.
Located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, U.S.A., the Freshwater Institute is operated by the Arlington, Virginia-based environmental nonprofit with the goal of developing “efficient seafood production methods that don’t harm the environment.” It has researched environmentally-friendly, land-based aquaculture technology that grows high-quality fish, recycles water, repurposes waste, and which can be produced anywhere.
“Through our numerous publications, both in science and industry, we share our progress and research findings in order to support our complimentary goals of environmental sustainability, human health, and economic vitality,” the Freshwater Institute said in a press release.
The multi-year partnership will give Cargill’s nutritionists and researchers with access to the institute’s fish, systems, research facilities, and team of scientists, engineers, and fish culturists. The two entities will aim to produce “leading-edge diet development and aquaculture feeds to optimize fish performance” for Cargill.
Cargill previously partnered with the Freshwater Institute in 2018 to study Cargill’s specialized RAS aquafeed for Atlantic salmon. The new agreement “solidifies the collaboration through 2023 and beyond,” Cargill said.
“Together, the partners hope to further improve land-based aquaculture's environmental and economic performance through feeds developed and tested specifically for RAS,” Cargill said.
Cargill said the collaboration with the Freshwater Institute will follow along the lines of research it did on the recently developed EWOS Clear for land-based salmon farming, which “produced settleable solids in recent research trials that were effectively removed from the recirculating flow, thereby improving the fish-culture environment and overall RAS operation."
“Our customers want the best nutrition possible,” Cargill Aqua Nutrition in North America Nutrition and Technology Lead Marc Turano said. “Partnering with the Freshwater Institute has provided key access to capabilities but more importantly to renowned thought leaders in land-based aquaculture production and thus, important to the advancement of science in this strategic growth area.”
Photo courtesy of The Freshwater Institute
