Aquaculture

Impact claim 1: IDH will contribute to improving the sector’s risk level by supporting a global, multi-stakeholder platform leading to a reduction in adverse environmental aquaculture farming practices by 2020. The platform will operate through the development and adoption of sourcing guidelines (including specific feed and health management best practices) for aquaculture certification and improvement models.

Impact claim 2: IDH will contribute to the development of a proof of concept for improved on-farm feed and disease risk mitigation strategies and market access. We will do this by supporting the implementation of responsible feed and health management best practices in the focus countries (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Ecuador).

Impact claim 3: IDH will trigger investments in critical bottlenecks (availability, affordability, and quality of feed and seed supply) to aquaculture production in Africa, with a focus on responsible health and feed management practices (as defined under impact claim 2) by 2020.

IDH orchestrates change towards responsible aquaculture. Building on our experiences with our landscape and commodity programs, as well as on our network in the sector, we develop so called aquascapes, where by strengthening collaboration and the adoption of technology we attract investments.

Collaboration

Tropical aquaculture is one of the most fragmented sectors, with thousands of companies involved with production, trading and retailing of fish products. We therefore strengthen collaboration as to develop joint strategies that tackle diseases and feed-related issues. We target collaboration both horizontally (e.g. between producers, between public and private sectors, with input suppliers etc.) and vertically (i.e. leveraging the market pull of front running traders and retailers).

Our activities may include the development and implementation of disease surveillance and control plans, knowledge sharing and the development of better practices to be adopted at the sector (rather than at farmer) level. In countries where aquaculture is not yet a fully developed, we promote collaboration as to strengthen distribution networks for the domestic and regional market.

Technology and data

There is huge variability in production and fish survival (most often with 2 percent digit fluctuation) and the causes of this variability are often poorly understood. We therefore support the sector’s professionalisation by promoting the use of technology and data to increase sector efficiency, traceability and transparency. As a result, producers can understand and mitigate disease risks, as well as improve their input efficiency, by understanding what influence inputs (e.g. feed, seed, antibiotics) have on their yields. Producers and traders can also use technology to increase transparency and accountability towards their (end) buyers.

Finance

Very few financial institutions are prepared to invest in aquaculture because of the risks and the lack of track record. We unlock access to finance to producers by attracting financial institutions into our aquascapes as to understand and quantify risks and risk mitigation pathways.