Aquaculture
Aquaculture is the fastest growing method of food production. Although aquatic products are among the most widely traded foods, organic aquaculture has lagged behind the agricultural sector in terms of the quantities and diversity of certified organic products. This is due, in part, because standards for organic fish, crustaceans, and aquaculture production have only recently been established in a limited number of countries. Organic aquaculture producers are seeking knowledge related to nutritional aspects of fish production, including the replacement of fish meal and oil with potential substitutes of plant origin, use of synthetic amino acids and natural antioxidants, construction materials for holding facilities, stocking densities, processing (particularly avoiding microbiological hazards in smoked vacuum packed fish), oxygenation, and management for water quality. Other more broad research topics include allowable feed sources in organic aquaculture, supply chain issues with organic fish sales, and infrastructure for processing fish as organic.
Much of the work in organic aquaculture has been in certification rather than research. Therefore, a research void exists in this area.
More information
Institutions
- FAO.org/OrganicAG: Institutions that undertake research relevant to the topic of aquaculture in the ORCA database at FAO's organic farming pages