Benson Hill, Inc., a food tech company unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants, and Denmark-based BioMar, today announced a strategic collaboration to advance BioMar’s responsible sourcing program by leveraging Benson Hill soy and further assessing its sustainability impact on high-performance aquafeed formulations.
BioMar is sourcing consecutive seasons of Benson Hill ingredients as part of its commitment to build restorative soy supply chains. Feed holds the primary cost in the farming of aquaculture and is the major contributor to its carbon footprint.
Benson Hill advances sustainability goals throughout the ingredient development process – from monitoring regenerative and deforestation-free practices on the farm to producing ingredients that reduce water and energy-intensive protein concentrating steps in processing. Together the companies are assessing how the advantages of Benson Hill ingredients advance BioMar’s sustainability program and reduce the impact of aquaculture farming for BioMar customers.
“BioMar has made a commitment to reduce the impacts of our feeds, and 97 % of the carbon footprint comes from the feed ingredients”, said Morten Holdorff Møjbæk, Global Sourcing Director, BioMar Group.
“With our exit last year from the Russian raw material market, it was important for us to find suppliers committed to working with us to ensure we deliver on our responsible sourcing ambitions. Benson Hill’s closed-loop business model, robust U.S. farmer network, and ability to trace back to seed make them an ideal collaborator.”
The companies expect this collaboration to demonstrate that reducing carbon emissions in the world’s fastest-growing protein sector and meeting market demands for traceability can be achieved at the same time. Consumption of blue foods continues to rise around the world. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, global consumption of blue foods (excluding algae) has increased at an average annual rate of 3 % since 1961, compared with a population growth rate of 1.6 %. In 2020, global aquaculture production reached a record 122.6 million tons.
“By working with a global leader like BioMar, we can help accelerate ongoing efforts in the industry to stand up fully deforestation-free supply chains and decrease the carbon footprint of products consumers love,” said Matt Crisp, Chief Executive Officer of Benson Hill. “Through this joint effort, Benson Hill and BioMar will be able to further research how high-protein, low-oligosaccharide, plant-based ingredients perform in aquaculture feed at scale, and potentially slash the use of one of the biggest contributors of carbon emissions in that supply chain. Stewarding our planetary resources is essential on the journey to accelerate transformation in the global aquaculture industry.”
According to the FAIRR Initiative, a collaborative investor network that raises awareness of the material Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks and opportunities caused by intensive animal protein production, aquafeed production is “associated with the extraction of vast quantities of wild fish, which can lead to overexploitation of stocks.” Research on raw materials, ethically derived from high-protein soy can begin to alleviate this issue. Separately, Benson Hill recently achieved the ProTerra Certification, validating the ESG principles guiding its work to deliver non-GMO ingredients to markets within and outside the United States.
Results (69)
Akaroa King Salmon has become the first King Salmon producer globally to adopt the innovative Blue Impact feed program developed by BioMar. This groundbreaking
From February, the BioMar Viet Uc joint venture in Vietnam will be headed by Managing Director Duong Anh Tu, who has an extensive commercial experience from the feed and food sector in Asia.
Following the invasion of Ukraine, BioMar Group shuts down all trade activities with Russia. The decision includes sales of finished products as well as the sourcing of raw materials.
BioMar recently attended the US Trout Farmers Association (USTFA) Fall Conference in sunny California, reinforcing our commitment to the US market and the trout farming industry.
From her early days as a chemical engineer to becoming a Global Process Innovation Unit Manager at BioMar, her journey is one of discovery and personal evolution.
Over the past 12 months, graduates from Ecuador, the UK, Norway, and Australia have undergone a comprehensive programme designed to develop their skills, foster innovation, and accelerate personal growth with the guidance of senior-level mentors.
At BioMar, we believe that equality is crucial to change the world. That is why we are proud to announce our participation in the Lead the Future campaign, led by Above & Beyond. This initiative aims to close the gender gap in STEM by empowering young women to pursue careers and leadership roles in these fields.
BioMar announced on Wednesday that the General Manager of BioMar Ecuador, Danny Velez, has decided to retire as of May 31st, 2024. BioMar Ecuador’s current Finance Director, Andres Rivadulla, will take over as General Manager.
As the Global Shrimp Forum 2024 came to a close, our experts gave us fresh perspectives on the industry's future. Carlos Diaz, our CEO, joined forces with Henrik Aarestrup, VP LATAM, Shrimp & Hatchery; Katherine Bryar, Global Marketing Director; and Michael Gammelgaard, Business Development Director, to dive deep into the challenges and opportunities facing shrimp aquaculture today.
BioMar Australia is excited to announce a $15 million-dollar, nation-leading project to construct the first green methanol ready vessel in Australia.
Despite having an Aboriginal origin name, approximately 60% of barramundi eaten in Australia is imported, and nearly half of Australians are unsure whether their seafood is local or imported.
BioMar is pleased to announce the appointment of David Whyte as the Managing Director of their new fish feed manufacturing plant in Tasmania.