EIT Food hosts Sustainable Seafood Panel

On 20 November 2020, EIT Food took part in the virtual Sustainable Foods Conference, which brought together researchers, entrepreneurs, startups and food executives to discuss food sustainability solutions. EIT Food led a panel dedicated to innovation in sustainable aquaculture, a rapidly growing field. In fact, aquaculture is one of the fastest growing forms of food production, and as our population continues to rise and our agricultural land continues to become degraded, the demand in aquaculture is set to increase. However, innovation in needed more than ever in the aquaculture sector, to increase fish production more sustainably, while also working to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This includes SDG 14: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Fish and Seafood.

The panel highlighted EIT Food’s role in fast-tracking innovative solutions to meet these challenges in the aquaculture sector and some of the projects currently being implemented in the sector. The panelists included Mercedes Groba, Innovation Programme Manager at EIT Food, Ólafur H. Friðjónsson, Research Group Leader in Biotechnology at Matís (Iceland), Birgir Örn Smárason, Project Manager at Matís (Iceland), and David Aldridge, Senior Lecturer in aquatic ecology, in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge.

Panellists highlighted EIT Food’s innovation projects which focus on more sustainable diets for bivalve shellfish aquaculture (MIDSA - Microencapsulated Diets for Sustainable Aquaculture), sustainable microalgae production (Energy-to-Feed (E2F)), as well as novel aquaculture feed additives based on fermented seaweed (Fermented seaweed-based novel feed additives - SEAFEED).

EIT Food hosted a Sustainable Seafood panel at the Sustainable Foods Conference in November 2020.

Sustainable aquaculture is one of EIT Food’s focus areas, led by Mercedes Groba. According to Mercedes:

“By 2030, two-thirds of global seafood requirements could come from Aquaculture. As seafood consumption increases, sustainable aquaculture must keep up with demand. Therefore, we must transform and expand our aquaculture practices into smarter circular systems that support our quest for our society.”

In December 2020, EIT Food launched its open call for innovation proposals in Sustainable Aquaculture. The purpose of this call is to identify projects that will commercialise innovative, technological and sustainable solutions to specific challenges in the Aquaculture sector, which are mature for market implementation to create safe, healthy, and high-quality food from Aquaculture. For more information on the call, please go to the call page here. 

EIT Food have also launched a video to explain how they are addressing the main challenges within sustainable aquaculture. The video features several experts from across Europe, sharing insights into their particular fields within aquaculture and the innovations being developed in the sector.

In this video, several experts share their insights into the challenges and solutions within the aquaculture sector.

Are you interested in working with EIT Food in sustainable aquaculture? If so, please contact Innovation Programme Manager Mercedes Groba to learn about possible collaboration opportunities: Mercedes.groba@eitfood.eu