Background
Established in 2013, Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) is a collaborative effort convened by global farmed salmon CEOs to advance responsible salmon farming. Uniting 15 salmon farming companies, constituting over 40% of the industry, GSI works to minimize environmental impact and overcome risks related to fish health and welfare, climate, and biodiversity loss through shared data and knowledge. GSI members’ farmed salmon, an eco-efficient and nutritious protein source, plays an essential role in healthy and sustainable food systems.
Uniting 15 salmon farming companies, constituting over 40% of the industry, GSI works to minimize environmental impact and overcome risks related to fish health and welfare, climate, and biodiversity loss through shared data and knowledge
Collaboration Drives Aquaculture Resilience
GSI’s approach focuses on industry-wide collaboration to accelerate environmental and social change. Collaboration over competition is crucial to build knowledge, enhance capacity, and drive impactful changes at the speed and scale needed. GSI establishes an enabling environment by bringing together company experts to share best practices, align reporting mechanisms, and promote greater transparency. This collective approach flourishes due to active CEO engagement.
Sustainability Backed by Data
Since 2020, GSI has worked with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on a climate action project born out of the realization that setting targets alone isn’t enough. GSI members standardize their carbon footprint assessment using a common methodology. This harmonized approach addresses data interpretation challenges and facilitates companies sharing expertise on effective mitigation efforts. WWF seeks to extend standardization efforts to the broader food sector, demonstrating the positive results of collective action. The goal is to streamline processes, align data methodologies, enhance transparent reporting, and accelerate cross-sector improvement. The project will launch in 2024.
Another cornerstone of GSI’s strategy is the Sustainability Report. Sharing 10+ years of data in one digital dashboard, the report includes 15 key environmental and social sustainability indicators aligned to the ASC Salmon Standard and documents member performance over time. The report, a trailblazer in the food sector, remains one of the largest publicly available industry databases. This commitment to transparency provides stakeholders and the public with insights into the industry’s sustainability efforts and fosters accountability and informed decision-making. The tangible benefits of this data-driven approach include significant reductions in antibiotic use and sea lice treatments.
From Challenges to Growth
In its efforts towards collaborative sustainability, GSI encountered obstacles. First, bringing competitors together took time to build trust and design a focused work plan on environmental projects where collective action could drive measurable change. In addition, initiatives like the climate action project required internal alignment on data collection, which was complex but possible through WWF’s support and companies’ commitment to the long-term vision. Finally, through GSI, the member companies hope that reporting alignment can help mitigate data fatigue and streamline processes to meet increasing stakeholder data requests.