Newcomers can play a leading role in unlocking the Blue Economy

Alan Shaw, President & CEO of Calysta

Today I will have the honour of addressing world leaders about the role of sustainable feed in the growth of aquaculture within the Blue Economy at the Our Ocean Summit in Malta, Europe.

The conference focuses the world’s attention on the coming dual crisis we face – feeding our planet and saving the ocean.

Aquaculture must play a key role in addressing this crisis. But as the protein demand rises, growth in the sector has slowed from 12 percent to five per cent over the last two decades. Lack of feed is cited as the second most important factor in the slowdown, after availability of healthy broodstock.

In order to support growth of aquaculture we must address the shortage of quality feed, and we all know that the incremental volumes of fishmeal and soy required are not possible without irreparably damaging ocean stocks or clearing rainforest land.

At Calysta we are in the process of commercialising FeedKind® protein, which requires minimal land and almost no water use. Our UK market introduction facility is operational and our commercial plant in the US is under construction.

But our proprietary technology can be located anywhere, meaning we can bring the feed to the farm, instead of it being sourced from an ocean or field thousands of miles away.  We can enable food security for countries and regions constrained by access to arable land to.

Our technology can deliver blue growth in aquaculture with minimal impact. It can help The Nature Conservancy realise its vision of restorative aquaculture.

What we need to achieve this is acceptance that relative newcomers, like Calysta, with bold new solutions, can play a leading role in enabling the Blue Economy and delivering a sustainable future.

Hopefully the conversations we have at the conference today will help educate policy makers, investors and thought leaders in the potential for innovative new technologies and products [like FeedKind protein] to play a leading role in unlocking the Blue Economy.