INTERVIEW 46 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE August 2023 About Gareth Butterfield Gareth Butterfield joined Cargill in 2017 and boasts a long history in the aquaculture industry, feed manufacture and fish production. He holds a PhD in Aquaculture Genetics and Disease from the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling and is currently based in British Columbia, Canada. health and welfare whilst ensuring all nutritional needs are met regardless of environment, lifecycle stage, geography and/or production goals. Can you talk a little bit about the latest trends in the global fish feed market? What are the prominent topics in fish nutrition today? 'New Farming approaches' is a hot topic within the industry today, and Cargill Aqua Nutrition have built capabilities, products and services to serve market. Feeds that retain nutrients better in waterborne feeding systems, and feeds that have better pellet integrity in RAS, are examples, and we haves of the feed solutions we have created for this emerging market. Moreover, when we move beyond feed, we partner with technology companies to create feed delivery systems or monitoring/measuring capabilities – such as acoustic feeders in shrimp – that help farmers improve productivity and maintain welfare. What potential does aquaculture have in feeding the world's growing population? In order to draw attention to the potential in this field, can you share your predictions with us about the future? The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has stated that to feed a growing human population to 2050, the production of seafood must be increased. However, globally wild stocks are mainly maximally or over-fished already. Aquaculture is well positioned to fill the gap, but the growth in aquaculture must be developed sustainably according to the FAO, so as not to further deplete global resources in food supply chains. Good ocean stewardship will be required to meet this requirement and Cargill is able to support. Aquaculture farmers around the world need to respond to the higher demand of seafood without compromising on nutritional values and sustainability of their fish feed. Cargill’s sustainable aquaculture program, SeaFurtherTM, aims to help them. As Cargill is part of an integrated global food system across multiple food value chains, it has a unique perspective on how to build solutions that last, balancing multiple and varied interests while also protecting the environment on land and in the ocean. One way Cargill is leveraging its unique position across the supply chain to achieve carbon reduction is through regenerative agriculture. Aquaculture’s carbon footprint mainly stems from the mix of raw materials in the feed. Regenerative agriculture aims to restore the soil’s health and resilience, using techniques like low- or no-tilling, planting cover crops to prevent runoff and oxidation, crop diversity, and pollinator strips. As a result, the soil becomes a carbon sink instead of a source of emissions, reducing the carbon footprint of crops grown in it. In 2022, we teamed up with eight U.K. farms to pilot the same climate-friendly regenerative agriculture practices to achieve a 1,000-tonne carbon reduction. Our goal next year is to sign up more farmers and avoid over 10,000 tonnes of emissions.
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