Feeding Future Generations in Harmony with the Ocean
2050 is fast approaching…
By the middle of this century, the world’s population is projected to reach approximately 10 billion people. If current trends continue, the demand for food/protein will woefully outpace supply.
Modern agriculture cannot support this increased demand without significant and irreversible damage to our planet. Wild fisheries are near maximum yield and even the best management will not enable them to keep up with growing demand.
How will we feed a growing population?…
Pacific Ocean AquaFarms (POA) is convinced that offshore marine aquaculture will play a critical role in meeting this challenge.
Seafood is the most healthful form of animal protein and marine aquaculture is one of the most resource-efficient and environmentally friendly ways to produce it. Compared to terrestrial food production, it requires far less land, fresh water and feed, and leads to far fewer greenhouse gas emissions which threaten our climate. From a sustainability standpoint, aquaculture is an imperative.
Aquaculture is a vital solution.
POA is proud to pioneer sustainable marine aquaculture in the United States through sustainable practices that embody responsible ocean stewardship. By working with research institutions, government agencies, scientists, environmentalists, and practicing fishermen and farmers, we’ve developed a model for offshore aquaculture that will produce healthful seafood, create local jobs, and support working waterfronts.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
With best practices, responsible stewardship and diligent consideration for the environment, we can:
DO IT HERE. DO IT RIGHT. DO IT NOW.
WHO
A PARTNERSHIP FOR
SUSTAINABILITY
WHAT
A MODEL FOR
OFFSHORE AQUACULTURE
WHERE
IN U.S.
FEDERAL WATERS
WHY
TO FEED
FUTURE GENERATIONS
HOW
WITH DILIGENT CONCERN
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
WHEN
THE TIME
IS NOW…
AGRICULTURE CANNOT SUPPORT INCREASED DEMAND
Today Americans are among the highest-volume consumers of meat on the planet, but the amount of resources (land and fresh water) needed to produce beef, pork, and chicken at scale are not sustainable, and land alterations for and emissions from livestock are a major source of human-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• 80% forest loss due to agriculture
• 70% fresh water used for agriculture
• 13% global emissions from agriculture
It is unlikely that high-input, resource-intensive farming systems – which have been blamed for deforestation, depletion of land and water resources, loss of biodiversity and high levels of GHG emissions – will deliver sustainable agricultural production.
Adequately feeding an increasing population that demands more resource-intensive food while also accommodating an increasing demand for agricultural raw materials and bioenergy will require a significant expansion in agricultural output. At the same time, already depleted land and water resources are increasingly under pressure, while unsustainable agricultural practices and other human activities jeopardize biodiversity and ecosystems in general.
Even though agriculture at the global level has become more efficient, expanding food production and economic growth have often come at the cost of the natural environment. In fact, almost half of the forests that once covered the planet are now gone, groundwater sources are increasingly under pressure, biodiversity has been severely eroded and bodies of water and groundwater have been polluted with nitrates, herbicides and pesticides.
If food and agricultural systems remain on their current path, the evidence points to a future characterized by persistent food insecurity and unsustainable economic growth.
AQUACULTURE IS RESOURCE EFFICIENT
“Aquaculture is the most ecologically appropriate way to grow animal protein for human consumption.”
Conservation International
Marine aquaculture provides an opportunity to increase our food supply without heavy reliance on land and freshwater resources. It can also increase our food supply with less greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The ocean has the capacity to expand food production while relieving pressures on land that can otherwise be used for wildlife and natural ecosystem functions.
If we are going to feed ourselves, and reduce contributions to global warming and reduce the overall footprint of our seafood supply chain, the U.S. has to begin to expand its production of seafood from aquaculture.
An integrated program that combines responsible land-based agriculture with ocean-based aquaculture can support a long-term strategy to create a safe, secure, sustainable, and more resilient global food system.