Background for LTA BOOST
The green agenda requires that new and more sustainable food production systems are developed.
Urgent need for food with low CO2 footprint
If we are to produce estimated 60% more food to feed a world population of 9,3 billion by 2050, the demand for land area will drastically push the tipping points for global warming and deterioration of biodiversity - which are already critical by now.
With a Danish national ambition of a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, there is an urgent need to change our food production methods. Agriculture alone is contributing to estimated 20-30% of greenhouse gas emissions in Denmark, and hence major societal value can be gained by developing new food production systems with low CO2 footprint.
The LTA BOOST project ensures the important first steps are taken to upscale sustainable Low Trophic species Aquaculture (LTA) food production, to supply the volumes the green agenda urgently needs. Low trophic species are non-fed species like seaweed and bivalve shellfish as mussels and oysters (bivalves).
Blue food for a green transition
Seaweed production has a positive or minimum net zero carbon footprint, and bivalve production has a footprint of just 6% of the footprint of poultry (the lowest footprint of terrestrial animal food production).
Further, LTA has a minimal environmental footprint and mitigating effects in relation to eutrophication. The upscaling of Low Trophic species Aquaculture production thus repairs flaws in our present food system by recirculating nutrients lost from land to the marine environment.
Finally, LTA grow out structures will increase local biodiversity by creating toxin-free habitats with high spatial complexity and feeding opportunities.
For LTA to become a significant part of sustainable food production, the industry must develop high-value species at sufficient volumes, within time scales of 1-4 years, to become economically viable. While the production of high-value LTA species such as oysters and seaweed has been recently established in Denmark, the industry is still characterized by instability and small-scale production.
New large-scale hatchery available
As land-based seed production is a requirement for most LTA species, it is of paramount importance that there are hatchery technologies available that can provide seeding material for a variety of species.
Given that a large-scale hatchery is now available at DTU Aqua in Nykøbing Mors, Denmark, the most important short-term need is to make sure that methods are developed that can sustain production in sufficient quantities and quality.