FAI Farms has built resilience in global food production for over two decades

Opportunities and advantages of having an animal welfare focus in shrimp farming

Risk Mitigation: By demonstrating your dedication to animal welfare, you proactively minimize the risk of negative publicity, legal entanglements, and supply chain interruptions tied to ethical concerns. It is an opportunity to make such work public by sharing your labour training on animal welfare and assessing your animals with modern methodologies. (Shrimp Welfare APP)
Elevated Brand Standing: Businesses / farms that champion animal welfare are seen as responsible and forward-thinking, strengthening their brand image and fostering consumer and buyer trust.
Access to Premium Markets and Pricing: Numerous markets and retailers are actively seeking seafood products that commit to stringent animal welfare benchmarks. Showing and documenting this grants you access to premium markets and the potential to command higher prices.
Cultivating Customer Loyalty: Consumers are moving towards brands that mirror their values. Prioritizing animal welfare leads to repeat business, enthusiastic advocacy, and long-lasting customer loyalty.

In 2018, we started a game changing project to improve welfare in aquaculture.

It all began with FAI Farms running a tilapia hatchery in Brazil. The operational challenges inspired a small group at FAI Farms to look for solutions, reaching out to fish farmers and improving the welfare of individual fish. With partners in Thailand, Brazil and China, FAI Farms has developed a welfare assessment process that results in better production outcomes for farmers.

…so we decided to bring this successful concept to another species - Shrimp.

The challenge.

More than 400 billion shrimp are alive on farms around the world at any given time. Shrimp farmers are facing an increased demand to improve the quality of life for their shrimp.

How to document welfare in a practical and scientific way?

The solution.

Our team of farmers and scientists developed the concept below:

Health, environmental, nutritional and behavioural indicators were established for shrimp that aligned with the scientific literature.

A 3-point scoring system was defined to facilitate the practical use for farmers.
A practical and free app for farmers has been developed for day-to-day use, from breeding to harvest.