Challenges

Food waste includes all usable parts of food produced for humans, but which are either discarded or removed from the food chain for purposes other than for human consumption.

Impact

Lerøy works towards reducing fish mortality, floor fish and unsold products as well as utilizing consequence products for human consumption. This creates a positive effect generating nutritious food for the population, better utilization of natural resources, increased earnings, and employment.

Food lost could be used to feed the global population and increase food security. Lerøy is directly involved in negative impacts in the farming segment regarding survival rate. Fish lost results in loss of natural resources (i.e. feed), lost value creation and reputation. Reducing food waste is an opportunity to increase efficiency and competitiveness, which can result in increased exports and earnings.

Our ambition in this area

100kg fish = 100 kg product for human consumption

How we take action / What actions has been made

The Farming segment has introduced targeted measures to reduce food loss by minimizing fish mortality. Among several action points, this involves transferring larger smolt at sea at the correct time, a high Omega 3 content in our feed to make our fish more robust, and investments in harvest boats with slaughtering facilities so that fish can be slaughtered directly at the different farming localities.

The Wild Catch segment aims to reduce food loss by preserving residual raw materials, producing meal, oil and ensilage that can be returned to Lerøy's value chain. This process involves optimizing production of meal, oil, and ensilage on board the Group's trawlers.

The VAP Sales & Distribution segment is taking action to reduce food waste by reducing the number of fish that fall on the floor, using the entire fish with our concept, “we use it all”, reducing the number of unsold products and non-utilized input factors in production, and optimizing the shelf life of our products.

Since 2017, SINTEF Ocean, commissioned by the Norwegian Fisheries and Aquaculture Industry's research funding (FHF), has carried out investigations into the amounts and causes of food waste in the Norwegian seafood industry. In 2022, it was decided to continue the project with a duration until 2026, so that it covers the next main reporting (2025 figures). Lerøy participates in the reference group in the project.
In the work towards 2026, where annual reports will be carried out, it is desirable to strengthen the data base to improve insight into the amount and causes of food waste in the industry. This can help to shine a spotlight on critical points that must be addressed to prevent and reduce food waste in the future.

Policy:  Food waste

How we measure our impact 

All companies in the group report their results quarterly through the reporting tool Cemasys. The impact is visualized both at group and company level through reports in PowerBI and evaluated quarterly. If the performance trend deviates from the target (0 or negative), the cause must be identified and specific measures implemented, the effect of the measures evaluated and possibly adjusted towards the next quarterly measurement.

Targets and Results 

Regarding results on survival in sea more information available here.

As part of a project called "50/50-5", Lerøy has introduced sub-projects throughout the value chain to reduce food waste by 50% within 2024 from base year 2019.

In wild catch segment - the target is to preserve residual raw material and increase the production of meal, oil, and ensilage by 50% from 2019 to 2024.  From 2019 to 2023 the volume has increased from 2669 tons to 5332 tons. The increase is mainly caused by the vessel Kongsfjord producing silage from 2020 and optimalization of oil and meal production on other vessels. The production has increased by 99% from 2019, above target, and are utilized as an ingredient in our feed for the farming division.

In Industry/VAP segment the target is to reduce the amount of floor fish and unsold products by 50% during the period of 2019-2024. The result in 2023 was 307 771 kg (0,13% of total volume produced), this was an increase from 2022 with 13 877 kg (-4,72%). We believe the increase in volume comes from improved focus and accuracy of recording and reporting food loss. In the wild catch segment, there was a prominent reduction in food waste, as we have been able to use our experience in the farming segment to reduce the amount of unsold products. All facilities are working according to the action plan to reduce floor fish and unsold products.

* data from 2019 is deficient or not complete. Base years must therefore be evaluated from the year 2020.

Furter actions 

• Lerøy is a Partner on the Norwegian authority project of investigating measures to halve food waste, including a food waste law. Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide and Agriculture and Food Minister Sandra Borch present the committee which will investigate measures to achieve the goal of a 50 percent reduction in food waste by 2030. Among other things, the committee will come up with a proposal for a food waste law. Lerøy participates in the discussions and supplies food loss data to the project. The work will be handed over in the form of a written report to the Ministry of Climate and the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food by 31 December 2023.
• Participation in the project Charting food waste in the seafood industry, managed by Sintef.
• Further investment in processing facility for exploitation of residual raw materials from own factories to produce different types of processed fish (fish cakes, fish pudding)
• 24% increase in shelf life of consumer packages by making use of new Co2 emitters in consumer packages. A longer shelf life provides improved predictability and less waste.
• Further development of the “we use it all” project by offering customers different products made from residual raw materials.
• Exploiting residual raw materials from the Wild Catch segment in feed for the Farming segment. This may involve increasing the content of marine raw materials in the feed, which in turn makes the salmon more robust and increases survival rates, or further reductions in the amount of wild caught fish from commercial fisheries in our feed.
• Initiation of a new packaging method for whole salmon and fillets. This involves using new technology allowing for transport of fresh fish by boat over longer distances, where the shelf life starts when the package is opened. This allows for more control over time and shelf life of raw materials used in production.