Plant-based ingredients have become increasingly important in feed formulation. As the aquaculture industry has reduced its reliance on marine ingredients in feed, sustainable alternatives like plant-based proteins have become more popular. Today, plant-based ingredients are the primary raw materials used in our feeds, accounting for around 50% of a typical Atlantic salmon’s feed.  

Plant-based ingredients include raw materials such as wheat gluten, faba beans, and guar meal. These ingredients provide fish with key macro/micronutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. However, incorporating plant-based ingredients into feed comes with challenges. For example, many carnivorous fish have a limited capacity to digest carbohydrates, meaning our diets must strike the right balance between plant-based ingredients and other raw materials.  

Additionally, some plant-based ingredients have been linked to negative environmental impacts, such as deforestation. BioMar is committed to deforestation-free and conversion-free supply chains (D/C-free) for sourcing all plant ingredients. To mitigate supply chain risks, BioMar’s code of conduct for suppliers sets out requirements for our fundamental principles of responsible sourcing. At a minimum, every supplier must adhere to these requirements and possess all required legal licenses and permits for their operations. This ensures that plant-based ingredients we source have minimal social impacts.  

BioMar will continue to take measures to ensure that our supply chain remains deforestation and conversion-free because we care about biodiversity and we care about sustainable aquaculture.