Since mid-2023, the adoption of RTRS Credits in aquaculture has increased significantly, with a noticeable shift toward the purchase of physical RTRS material under the Mass Balance scheme by the end of the year. Companies like CJ Selecta and Bunge are leading the charge. This shift highlights the growing commitment to sustainable practices in aquaculture.

Since 2017, the aquaculture sector has experienced remarkable growth in the adoption of RTRS certified material. Soy and its co-products, such as lecithin, soy flour, and Soy Protein Concentrate (CPS), are used as key ingredients in the production of balanced feed for farmed fish, driving an increasing number of participants in the supply chain of this aquaculture sector to seek responsible sourcing. Many companies in the sector choose to offset their soy footprint with RTRS certified material (so far, mainly RTRS Credits Supporting Responsible Soy Production).

To put it in numbers, between 2018 and 2023, the aquaculture sector acquired a total of 1,534,651 RTRS Credits, and in 2023, the acquisition of physical RTRS certified material through the Chain of Custody (CoC) Mass Balance certification scheme began. Under this scheme, the first 4,700 tons of CPS were traded.

In this sector, the adoption of RTRS Credits has grown annually, involving several countries in Central and South America. Ecuador leads with 158,511 tons of certified material adopted by the first half of 2024, followed by Chile with 88,681 tons and Peru with 15,500 tons. Honduras and Nicaragua in Central America are also actively involved. In Asia, countries such as Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam, along with the United Kingdom in Europe, are also part of this demand.

Adoption of RTRS certified material in aquaculture by country (tons). Total Credits and Mass Balance

Data systematized until the first half of 2024

The aquaculture industry, which includes salmon and shrimp farms, seeks to comply with certifications from organizations such as the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), which require and certify that producers obtain their feed ingredients from sustainable sources.

Since 2017, ASC has recognized RTRS certified soy or its equivalent in RTRS Credits, highlighting the RTRS Standard for Responsible Soy Production as one of the most robust in terms of environmental and social standards. Similarly, BAP recognizes the RTRS standard, emphasizing its policy of deforestation prohibition in soy production. These guidelines align with the growing global demand for sustainable practices in the production of balanced feed for both animal and human consumption.

It is in this context that the adoption of RTRS Credits in the aquaculture sector shows sustained growth, which began to accelerate from mid-2023, and by the end of that year, signs of a gradual transition to the acquisition of RTRS physical material under the Mass Balance scheme started to appear. An example of this is the first RTRS Mass Balance soy acquisition by Nutreco-Skretting Chile.

The following table represents the participation of different companies in the sector and their behavior in relation to the adoption of certified material between 2020 and the first half of the year.

Adoption of RTRS certified material in aquaculture by company between 2020-2024 (in tons)

This is public information, available online on the RTRS Marketplace website: https://responsiblesoy.org/marketplace 

It is worth clarifying that with regard to Mass Balance, there is a link with the increase in Chain of Custody (CoC) RTRS certification, where, out of more than 450 certified sites, five are linked to Mass Balance transactions for aquaculture in the 2024 cumulative data.

Transition to RTRS certified physical soy supply chains

Food producers supplying aquaculture companies and integrating RTRS Credits into their sustainability strategies are now beginning to combine this strategy with RTRS certified physical soy under the Mass Balance scheme.

This represents a shift in the supply chain, as it requires the implementation and certification under the RTRS Chain of Custody Standard. This standard sets requirements for various documentary traceability systems that an organization must apply to maintain control over inventories of RTRS certified material, whether soy or its co-products. This standard must be implemented and is mandatory for supply chain organizations wishing to receive, process, and market RTRS soy.

• First RTRS Mass Balance case in aquaculture in Chile: CJ Selecta, Kabsa, and Skretting

At the end of 2023, the first RTRS Mass Balance physical soy transaction in the aquaculture sector was recorded in Chile, led by CJ Selecta and Kabsa S.A. It involved the trading of RTRS Mass Balance CPS produced in Brazil to be used as an ingredient in the balanced feed that Skretting produces to supply salmon farms in the country.

CJ Selecta is a company dedicated to manufacturing soy-based products for human and animal consumption, as well as the chemical industry, with a strong focus on the aquaculture sector, being one of the main exporters of CPS, with Chile as one of its key markets.

A member of RTRS since 2007, the company promotes its sustainability commitments using various tools, including RTRS certification for production and Chain of Custody. In 2019, CJ Selecta began engaging its customers with RTRS Credits, acquiring an average of 60,000 credits annually. Three years later, it began working with certified RTRS producers in Brazil, managing a group of 11 producers covering 27,298 hectares and producing 98,133 tons of certified soy in Minas Gerais.

In 2022, CJ Selecta certified a processing plant in Araguari, Minas Gerais, under the RTRS Chain of Custody model, marking a significant step in its transition to sourcing RTRS physical Mass Balance soy.

“RTRS certified soy meets the highest standards, such as the zero deforestation and conversion policy,” said Patricia Sugui, Sustainability Manager at CJ Selecta. “We are pioneers in providing CPS for fish nutrition, including salmon,” she added, explaining that CJ Selecta supplies CPS and other soy derivatives for fish, shrimp, poultry, pigs, and pet feed, highlighting the growing demand from the aquaculture market and the importance of meeting certification standards such as BAP and ASC.

Continuing this path, in 2023, the Chilean company Kabsa S.A., CJ Selecta’s main commercial partner, certified five sites under the RTRS Chain of Custody Standard, including two ports in Puerto Coronel and Terminales Marítimos de la Patagonia in Los Lagos, enabled to store, process, and market RTRS soy.

“The interest from Brazilian and Chilean companies is a confirmation of the commitment maintained in our countries for over five years and indicates a gradual evolution in the sector’s vision. We are very pleased with this step we have taken towards the RTRS Chain of Custody,” said Humberto Mena, Commercial Manager of Kabsa S.A.

This certification process allowed Skretting Chile, a producer of salmon feed, to decide to certify three sites under the Chain of Custody Standard in 2023. These facilities include three storage plants and two processing plants in Los Lagos. As a result, the balanced feed produced by Skretting supplies ASC or BAP certified salmon farms in Chile, which in turn supply retailers.

“Sustainability is what we believe in,” said Juan Manuel Leiva, Quality Manager at Skretting. “We are not only looking to meet the industry’s needs, but we are committed to sustainable development, and we understand that aquaculture is undoubtedly the future,” he added.

“We are thrilled to see how organizations align their vision and goals to continue evolving their supply chains into more sustainable ones,” said Luiza Bruscato, Global Executive Director of RTRS. “This case is a clear example of how it is possible to implement management systems in line with the RTRS Chain of Custody Standard,” she added.

CJ Selecta, Kabsa S.A., and Skretting attended the RTRS Annual International Conference in October 2023, held in São Paulo, Brazil, and together reviewed the work done in recent years.

• Bunge registers the second RTRS Mass Balance case for the aquaculture sector

In 2024, Bunge registered a second RTRS physical Mass Balance case in the aquaculture sector through the trade of lecithin from Bunge Argentina to Bunge Chile.

A member of RTRS since 2007, Bunge is a global agribusiness company that produces and sells fertilizers in Argentina, as well as transporting, processing, and marketing oilseeds and grains worldwide. The RTRS certification is recognized by the company as a valuable tool in the market.

Bunge Argentina participates in the aquaculture sector by producing lecithin, which it physically trades to Bunge Chile under the RTRS Chain of Custody certification. To date, 193 tons of lecithin have been transacted under RTRS CoC between the two subsidiaries in 2024.

In Brazil, since 2022, Bunge has worked with RTRS certified producers, acting as a group manager. In 2023, Bunge certified two groups, covering a total of 19 producers, covering 368,292 hectares and 599,075 tons in the states of Bahia, Mato Grosso, Maranhão, and Mato Grosso do Sul.

Additionally, the company certifies 35 sites under the Chain of Custody Standard, including 14 storage plants, 20 processors, 7 ports, and 8 commercial offices in Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Paraguay, with 4 new sites certified in 2023: 3 storage plants in Los Lagos and Chinque Alto, and 1 commercial office in Santiago, Chile.

“Today, we have RTRS as the main platform to deliver responsible products to the market, support farmers, and build a bridge to end consumers,” said Michel Santos, Global Sustainability Director of the company.

In Argentina, Bunge implements the RTRS certification alongside some of its aquaculture sector clients to continue adding value. “Food and climate security must be supported by responsible supply chains. Every year, we certify or verify the sustainability of the products we acquire, process, and distribute,” highlighted Pamela La Motta de Lucena Moreira, SR Sustainability Manager at Bunge South America.

The growth of RTRS certification in the aquaculture sector has been achieved thanks to the commitment of the value chain actors. “As traders for a global leader in the food system, our goal is to create a positive environmental and social impact in all the places where we operate,” added Sebastián Vicens, Head of Lecithin at Bunge Southern Cone. “We are part of an industry in constant transformation, and we are always looking for new environmentally responsible projects that promote more sustainable value chains,” he added.

These organizations have been the true protagonists, adopting and promoting sustainable approaches that have enabled the achievement of environmental responsibility goals in the aquaculture industry.

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