Asia-based companies maintain lead in F3 Challenge

A team from China is leading five other teams from around the world at the midpoint in the F3 Challenge. Contestants are using everything from insects to algae as a base to develop a fish-free aquaculture feed. The winning team must demonstrate that their fishless fish food is a viable, cost-competitive alternative to conventional fish-based feed. Guangdong Evergreen Feed Industry Co., Ltd is in first place with 53,815 metric tons of feed sold, and the team comprised of Myanmar-based Htoo Thit Co. and global animal nutrition company Biomin is in second place with 29,600 metric tons sold to date.

May 18, 2017

A team from China is leading five other teams from around the world at the midpoint in the F3 Challenge. All contestants are competing for more than $200,000 in prize money for developing a viable food source for fish farms without using fish in the ingredient list.

The result, contest organizers say, will help insure a sustainable supply of seafood for the planet by scaling up fish-free feed, called “F3” to meet the global demand for high-quality protein to feed the world’s growing population.

Guangdong Evergreen Feed Industry Co., Ltd is in first place with 53,815 metric tons of feed sold, and the team comprised of Myanmar-based Htoo Thit Co. and global animal nutrition company Biomin is in second place with 29,600 metric tons sold to date.

Contestants are using everything from insects to algae as a base to develop a fish-free aquaculture feed. The winning team must demonstrate that their fishless fish food is a viable, cost-competitive alternative to conventional fish-based feed. The contestants must prove their recipe can scale up by targeting sales of 100,000 metric tons by Sept. 15, 2017, or be the furthest along by the challenge end date.

The six teams also include partnerships from more than one country. Nations represented include China, U.S., Australia, Austria, Myanmar, South Africa, Pakistan, and Thailand. These teams are advancing to the third sale reporting phase on July 15, 2017.

The F3 Fish-free feed prize is intended to spark innovation in the aquafeed industry to find viable, cost-competitive aquafeeds free of fishmeal and fish oils. Sustainable alternative protein sources can reduce pressure on ocean ecosystems to supply aquaculture fishfeed components and help meet global food security needs in the future.

All sales reported to date are unverified. F3 challenge judges will verify that all feed sold are “fish-free” per the contest rules. Indonesian company JAPFA Feeds decided to become a participant rather than a contestant of the F3 Challenge, therefore no sales for the company are being reported.