December 28, 2016

Cermaq recommends aquaculture at Fortune and Time Global Forum

The 2016 Global Forum gathered business leaders from the world's largest companies, members of the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people, and a cross section of leaders from NGOs, non-profits, organised labor and religion.

During the event in Rome, Italy, Cermaq endorsed initiatives in which partnerships can be a driving force for meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The company is focusing especially on SDG 14 Life below water, and how aquaculture is a part of the solution, not only in salmon farming but in general.

"Over these days, I have had the unique opportunity to talk with global influencers over the benefits of aquaculture and the enormous potential for technology transfer to other species and regions, says CEO Geir Molvik.

According to Cermaq, the world is moving toward a global population with nine billion people as agriculture faces new problems from global climate. The OECD estimates that by 2050, the world's demand for water will grow by 55%. How global companies contribute to efforts to conserve and more efficiently use water supplies was one of the challenges presented by Judith Rodin, president of Rockefeller Foundation.

Farmed salmon has a very small ecological footprint compared to agriculture, Molvik adds. There should be a continual effort to expand the volumes of this climate-friendly food production in the regions where natural conditions for salmon farming are favourable, thus also recognising that salmon is a healthy food and that replacing meat with seafood is good for health and the climate.

Today, only 7% of global protein consumption comes from seafood, whereas the oceans cover 70% of the earth's surface. Salmon farming, being a small part of global aquaculture, is technically the most advanced, and hence, there is a large potential for transfer of technology and competence and for growth of aquaculture.

- Cermaq