In 2023, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) approved Nufarm’s Aquaterra omega-3 canola oil for use in fish feed. Aquaterra is the first biotechnology product authorized by the NFSA in Norway under the Food Act. The oil itself is non-GM and is derived from an enhanced canola strain that includes microalgae genes to enable the harvested oil to contain essential omega-3 fatty acids, from land.
Currently, Aquaterra has not yet been incorporated into aquafeeds in Norway and the main bottleneck is the perception of consumer acceptance, coupled with industry inertia. “We have met many farming and feed companies and the consensus is that our oil is very easy to implement and they would love to use it,” Evy Vikene, Nufarm Aquaculture Lead Europe, explained in a recent interview with Aquafeed.com. “The main challenge comes from the perceived European consumer perspective.”
The use of Aquaterra means that even though the oil itself is non-GM, existing non-GM labels in Europe are required to be changed for salmon products. “With over 80% of Norwegian salmon production sold in Europe, it’s important that retailers and consumers have the right information to make informed decisions,” continues Vikene. “It’s quite a paradox that the same technologies are used for other animal proteins, so we see salmon as the natural next step. The main task now is to help the whole value chain understand our product, particularly in terms of increased sustainability, the vast scalability and the possibility to significantly reduce industry dependence on limited marine resources.”
The Aquafeed Initiative
The Aquafeed Initiative was created in 2021 by Earthworm Foundation in collaboration with seven French retailers and one salmon processor, with the ambition to shift the French market towards seafood from aquaculture using responsibly sourced aquafeed ingredients. This initiative regularly engages with novel and alternative ingredient producers like Nufarm, as well as feed companies such as BioMar and Skretting. These engagements aim to open the dialogue, exchange information, identify shared challenges, and explore solutions to support the initiative’s objective of making salmon products entering the French market more sustainable.
“Our goal is to provide information to French retailers about the issues around aquafeed and the importance of adopting sustainable ingredients that can substitute fishmeal and fish oil,” said Marco Custódio, project manager of the Aquaculture program at the Earthworm Foundation. “Through the Aquafeed Initiative, retailers have agreed on a set of collective objectives for sustainable aquafeed. These focus on reducing reliance on wild-caught forage fish – aiming for a Forage Fish Dependency Ration (FFDR) <1 – improving the sustainability of reduction fisheries, and ensuring soy is deforestation- and conversion-free. Initially, our efforts are centered on applying these objectives to salmon by 2030. Our main priority has been working towards achieving an FFDRo<1 (ratio specifically for fish oil) by promoting the adoption of novel alternative ingredients."
In 2023 and 2024, the initiative organized two workshops in Paris with French retailers and industry stakeholders to provide a space for knowledge sharing and open discussions on the use of novel and alternative ingredients in salmon feed, specifically on microalgae oil, GM canola oil, farmed salmon oil, insect proteins and land animal proteins (LAPs). “Through these discussions, retailers increased their knowledge base and developed a more positive perception of these ingredients. However, canola oil, farmed salmon oil and LAPs continue to be restricted from their sourcing specifications. The retailers understood the need for dialogue and opened the door for revising their specifications, but they need to better understand societal and consumer perceptions regarding those ingredients. To address this need, we carried out a consumer survey in France in 2024 and are currently replicating this study in the UK. The results of these consumer studies will help support the adoption of novel and alternative ingredients in European salmon supply chains,” Custódio explained.
“We recently did a similar survey as the Aquafeed Initiative is doing to find out how difficult the acceptance of a GMO product was. We found that there is a small part of the consumers (below 10%) that would never accept it, but the majority, when they are informed, see the benefits and the GMO aspect becomes secondary,” Vikene said. “In addition, the consumers who purchased salmon more frequently were much more positive, along with the younger consumers.”
The key to education is transparency and trust. “We’re not trying to sell a story—we’re inviting people to be part of it. Retailers are already deeply committed to sustainability and nutrition, so we approach them with science, verified data, and a clear message: Aquaterra is not a GM product—it’s a purified, plant-based oil that helps secure a more resilient omega-3 supply,” Vikene explained.
“For consumers, our focus is on clarity and simplicity: why it matters, what it does, and how it benefits both fish welfare and the environment. We’re developing myth-busting content, real-life farmer stories, and engaging visuals to bring the facts to life. The more informed people are, the more supportive they become—and the data backs that up,” Vikene added.
Credits: Nufarm
Scalability
In addition to Norway, Aquaterra is also approved for use in Chile, Canada, and Australia. Chilean and Canadian salmon feeds are already using Aquaterra as a source of omega-3s.
“Canola oil is produced in North Dakota and Montana, in the US. Canola seeds are planted in spring, harvested in autumn and processed during winter and next spring, therefore, it takes a year to obtain the final oil,” said Pablo Berner, Nufarm Aquaculture Lead Americas.
“We have the capacity and the infrastructure to increase our production. Nufarm does not need to build new facilities to produce canola oil. Canola is a traditional crop and processing is done using existing infrastructure, therefore, the scalability from the agri side to the aqua side is easy. The industry has the potential to purchase a significant quantity,” Berner said.
The first targeted species has been salmon, but there is a huge variety of aquaculture species outside of salmon with high production and demand for omega-3s. “Today, we work with the salmon industry in Chile, Canada, Australia and Norway, and we are working in Japan and China as well as the UK. As soon as we have all this set, we can move to other species, such as shrimp,” Berner said. “New alternatives have been arising for protein, such as insects, but for oils, there are still three options: traditional fish oil and byproducts, algae oil and canola oil. There are no other projects nowadays for all these species and there is demand for all.”
Aquaterra is certified by Friends of the Sea for its sustainable production and by Excellence Through Stewardship, which ensures the highest standards of traceability and responsible biotech stewardship. “We are in contact with Best Aquaculture Practices to recognize Aquaterra omega-3 canola oil as a source of omega-3s for aquafeeds. We have also been invited to the United Nations Global Compact,” Berner said.
No risk, just resistance
Products like Aquaterra and animal byproducts are approved for use in aquafeeds in Norway, but despite their availability, salmon producers have been hesitant to adopt them due to perceived risks.
Vikene emphasized that, from both scientific and regulatory perspectives, there is no cause for concern in using Aquaterra. “Thousands of risk assessments have been conducted on GM-based products over many years, with no negative findings related to health or the environment. Aquaterra is a fully approved, refined, plant-based ingredient. Innovations like this are already being safely used in poultry, pork, and dairy. The real issue is perception—not science.”
Given that farmers and feed producers operate in highly competitive markets, their caution is understandable. “Being the first to adopt something that has been unfairly politicized or misunderstood can feel like a branding risk, especially when competitors still promote ‘non-GM’ labels. But in reality, consumers are more open-minded than we think, especially when we clearly explain how Aquaterra enhances fish health and contributes to a more sustainable future.”
Vikene stressed that the challenge lies in changing the narrative. “The industry has overcome much tougher challenges than this. The real risk now is in hesitating while the rest of the world moves forward.”
“However, times are changing, and there is a growing willingness to embrace these innovations. We’ll soon see them entering the market. It has taken time, but early adopters are stepping up. Lerøy Seafood Group, for example, is leading the way by incorporating land animal products, setting a strong example of forward-thinking leadership,” Vikene concluded.
