Responsible use of raw materials 2022

Responsible Sourcing Policy

Aquaculture feed can contain many different ingredients of vegetable, marine and land animal origin. The most common agricultural crops are soya, wheat and rapeseed. Marine
ingredients traditionally originate from wild fisheries like sardine, anchovy, herring and many more. There are a number of sustainability issues linked to the primary production of feed ingredients. Cultivation of agricultural crops needs to be responsible; otherwise, it can lead to detrimental impacts likedeforestation, loss of valuable habitats (for example rainforests and wetlands), excess use of water and soil erosion – to mention a few. A wild-capture fishery needs to be responsibly managed so that it is not overfished and does not lead to the unwanted catch of protected or endangered species.

The primary source of the feed ingredient is processed into different forms; wheat can be processed into wheat flour and wheat gluten, soya into soybean meal, soybean concentrate and soybean oil. A fish or by-products from fish can be processed into fishmeal and fish oil. This means that the primary sources of the feed ingredients are shipped to a factory and processed into the feed ingredient by manufactureres of feed ingredients. There are a number of sustainability issues that are common for manufacturers. For instance, the manufacturing process must not lead to environmental pollution like harmful emissions to air or effluents to water. Sustainability also encompasses social issues, including ensuring that the factory is a safe working place. In addition, manufacturers must respect basic human rights and labour rights. Skretting operates a system of systematic evaluation of the sustainability risks linked to primary sources of feed ingredients and manufactuers of feed ingredients. Based on the outcome of these risk assessments, the combination of primary source and manufacturer of feed ingredient must be evaluated and approved before a Skretting operation can buy the feed ingredient.

Our Supplier Code of Conduct, which all suppliers must agree to, enables us to engage with our suppliers on material issues relating to their operations and to set minimum criteria relating to environmental, social and legal aspects.

Vegetable Ingredients with High Risks of Deforestation

Skretting Australia includes soy bean meal and soy protein concentrate in select diets from our product range. Skretting Australia utilises a comparitively small volume of these materials due to our utilisation of rendered land animal proteins. Skretting Australia does not procure any palm oil product.

Through our guiding document, Nutreco's Soya and Palm Oil Sourcing Policy Skretting Australia only procures soya products which are certified as 100% deforestation free. Our our protein concentrate is certified by ProTerra, whcih certifies that the product is deforestation free since 2008. Our soy bean meal is certified by the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (US SSAP), which assures for risks associated with land management and associated labour risks.

The ProTerra Foundation

Skretting is member of the ProTerra Foundation which is a not-for-profit organisation that advances and promotes sustainability at all levels of the feed and food production chain. A commitment to full transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain and concern for corporate social responsibility and the potential detrimental impact of herbicide-resistant, genetically modified crops on ecosystems and biodiversity is integral for ProTerra.

Independent third party certification is central to the Proterra Foundation. ProTerra certification ensures that high quality supplies of crops, food, and feed are independently certified and produced with improved sustainability.

ProTerra certification ensures that high quality supplies of crops, food, and feed are independently certified and produced with improved sustainability

The Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS)

Nutreco is member of the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) which is a civil organisation that promotes responsible production, processing and trading of soy on a global level.

RTRS encourages current and future soybean to be produced in a responsible manner to reduce social and environmental impacts while maintaining or improving the economic status of the producer through the development, implementation and verification of a global standard.

Percentage of Soya Purchases Certified by a Third party Assurance Programme

Lower Risk Ingredients 

Skretting Australia procures ingredients from all across the globe; however the lion's share of our raw materials are sourced from within Australia. These ingredients include all of our land animal proteins and oils, and most vegetable proteins, carbohydrates, and oils. Our marine ingredients are sourced from fisheries across the global; details relating to our sourcing during 2022 can be found here.

In 2021, Skretting Australia completed a full life cycle assessment (LCA) of our raw material portfolio. This comprehensive analysis has allowed Skretting Australia's Sustainability Team to holistically compare the impacts associated with raw material cultivation, processing, and transport. This analysis will be critical in guiding our pathway to further reducing the footprint of feed. More details relating to the footprint of feed can be found here.

Novel Ingredients 

Novel ingredients are defined as non-conventional foodstuffs, which typically have lower environmental footprints than their traditonal counterparts. Novel ingredients typically come in three main categories single cell proteins, algae oils, and insect meals. Skretting Australia, as a part of Nutreco is committed to a 5% average inclusion of novel ingredients by 2025. Over time global supply of these raw materials will continue to increase, and Skretting Australia will secure a greater supply.