Contact
Birgir Örn Smárason
Research Group Leader
birgir@matis.is
SUSTAINFEED is a two-year project with five partners, two of them from Iceland. The project received a grant from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Food) earlier this year and formally began last week with a meeting of partners at Matís in Reykjavík.
The project aims to develop ingredients in fish feed in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Reducing the proportion of fishmeal and oil in fish feed has been a goal in Europe for over 20 years. This ratio is replaced by plant-based ingredients such as soy, wheat and corn. Increased demand for these raw materials in feed and food means that the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable ingredients continues. Part of the solution can be found in by-products of grain and vegetable production as well as new raw materials produced in efficient production systems that are independent of seasonal fluctuations and deliver equal quality.
SUSTAINFEED will focus on the development of micro-algae from VAXA's high-tech production system that utilizes carbon dioxide emissions from the Hellisheidi power plant for growth, as well as renewable energy and hot and cold water flowing to and from the power plant, as well as the development of by-products from grain and vegetable cargo. The raw materials will be mixed into high-quality feed for aquaculture and replace raw materials that could otherwise be used in food.
The goal is for the new feed to be as environmentally friendly as possible, with much less carbon footprint than is known, but at the same time contain all the main nutrients for fish growth.
Over the next two years, a number of experiments will be carried out with the development of the ingredients, their mixing in feed and an assessment of the growth and welfare of fish.
The project's website is still under construction, but in the coming months it will be possible to follow the progress of the project here: SUSTAINFEED WEBSITE.
