It is estimated that we will need 70% more food from our current supply in 2050. Despite considerable advances in industrial agriculture and livestock production, the system is highly resource-intensive, as animals are not efficiently converting feed from crops into edible meat/ protein.
In order to feed the growing population, aquaculture represents a promising opportunity to supply proteins in Europe, as it is a growing industry, and fishes have a much better feed conversion ratio compared to land-based animals. In addition, the numerous seas and coastal areas in Europe make it a well-suited continent for aquaculture production, in particular salmonids.
The continued growth of livestock and aquaculture production is dependent on considerable increases in feed supply and quality/performance, as 45-60% of livestock production costs are feed costs. This situation represents considerable opportunity in delivering new feed solutions, in terms of both cost and quality, especially in Europe where 70% of proteins for animal feed are imported.
Soy protein limitation for use in fish feed, future fish meal supply shortages and price volatility are driving the aquaculture industry imperative to incorporate alternative protein sources in feeds.
None of these protein sources being produced in Europe, European Food Security is at stake, and should facilitate the rise and commercialization of new alternative protein sources.
SYLFEED goal is to demonstrate the creation of a new value chain from “Forest to feed” by implementing the technology developed by ARBIOM at demonstration scale to prepare for industrial scale-up. The SYLFEED project aims at reducing the European protein gap by applying ARBIOM’s technology to produce protein-rich ingredient comprised of Single Cell Protein (SCP) from wood for aquaculture.
ARBIOM is using wood, a non-food, abundant, and renewable resource, and brings it into the food chain to produce SylPro®, a protein rich ingredient intended for feed and food markets.
The work done during the SYLFEED project showed that SylPro® is a viable protein ingredient for fish feed :
- Nutrition : large-scale trials showed that SylPro® can efficiently replace fishmeal or plant-based proteins in fish feed.
- Sustainability : the project's ISO-14040 certified LCA showed that SylPro® is a sustainable protein source with a low environmental impact
- Profitability : the business model established for ARBIOM’s future commercial plant provided satisfying results. This plant will create jobs in rural areas and contribute to the economy of both the aquaculture and forestry industries by providing a stable and locally produced protein source.
To conclude, the SYLFEED project validated an innovative solution to reduce the European protein gap via the development of an alternative supply of premium proteins.
