The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is shifting gears. Once primarily focused on farm-level certifications, it is now turning its attention downstream – partnering with retailers and food-service chains to make responsibly farmed seafood the expectation, not the exception. (FoodNavigator-USA.com)
A key jump-start for this strategy: ASC has officially opened certification to farmed cod – a move years in the making. The new cod standard comes alongside ASC’s broader rollout of a unified Farm Standard, which will consolidate more than a dozen species-specific rules into one framework by 2027.
Why cod? In the U.S., cod regularly ranks among the top ten seafood species by consumption. With wild cod quotas under pressure and fluctuating supply chains, farmed cod brings the promise of stability: consistent pricing, reliable availability and standardized product specifications – attributes that matter to retail and CPG seafood brands.
But, as ASC is careful to note, this isn’t about replacing wild-caught cod. Rather, it’s about working alongside the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to deliver a dual-pathway: wild and responsibly farmed. Together, they hope to serve both consumer demand and sustainability goals.
Notably, early adopters include High Liner Foods, which is gearing up to integrate ASC-certified farmed cod into its North American retail offerings. For companies aiming to build strong seafood brands, this represents a meaningful signal.
Looking ahead, ASC aims to leverage its growing North American footprint – tapping into elevated consumer awareness of origin, environmental impact and responsible sourcing. With this cod milestone, the organization believes it’s entering a new chapter of impact in the seafood landscape.
Why it matters:
- Retailers and foodservice providers are increasingly under pressure on sourcing transparency and sustainability; this move signals a scalable pathway for responsibly farmed seafood.
- For seafood brands and CPG businesses: farmed cod offers the potential to de-risk supply chain variability and elevate brand proposition with certified assurance.
- For sustainability advocates: the consolidation of standards and the expansion into mainstream markets may raise the bar across the aquaculture sector.