Page 18 - AWA Vol.41-No.8

FISHERIES AND FISH FARMING

Strengthening regional food

security with Uniprotein®

By 2050, nearly 10 billion people will need food, but our Unibio is filling a protein supply gap with
planet's protein supply is rapidly depleting. The global Uniprotein®
food system is already under immense strain, with cli- Unibio is a biotechnology company leading a global
mate change, resource scarcity, rising costs, and geopo- transformation in protein production. Using advanced fer-
litical tensions placing unprecedented pressure on food mentation technology, we convert methane into a plan-
security. While the UN Food and Agriculture Organization et-friendly protein at an industrial scale. Our first com-
(FAO) recognizes aquaculture as essential for meeting mercial product, Uniprotein®, is a protein-rich biomass
the world’s growing protein demand, it faces a critical designed to fully or partially replace conventional protein
challenge: how to sustainably feed billions of farmed fish sources in compound animal feeds, without compromis-
when ocean resources are already stretched to their lim- ing performance, health, or survival.
its. Uniprotein® is produced by a microbial culture utilizing
Traditionally, fishmeal has played a central role in aqua- natural gas as its sole carbon and energy source. The only
culture feed thanks to its naturally balanced profile of nu- raw materials required are methane (the primary compo-
trients vital for the growth of farmed fish and crustaceans. nent of natural gas), oxygen, ammonia, and a few essen-
Seabass, seabream, barramundi, yellowtail, shrimp, some tial minerals. Producing Uniprotein® requires no arable
of the most commercially important aquaculture species, land and uses only a minimal amount of water.
are largely dependent on fishmeal as a key ingredient in A substantial amount of research has documented the
their diets. However, the stability of fishmeal supply is at benefits of using methane-based single-cell protein in
risk due to tightening global supplies and volatile prices. feed. Over the years, numerous trials have demonstrat-
ed that Uniprotein® is a high-quality protein source and a
It is clear that relying solely on wild-caught fish is not a
proven alternative to traditional protein-rich ingredients.
sustainable way to meet the needs of the growing aqua-
culture sector. Using alternative protein sources is crucial
to reduce dependence on this limited marine resource to Uniprotein®
protect ocean biodiversity and secure the future of aqua- • Provides an excellent source of protein, essential ami-
culture. What’s important to understand is that carnivo- no acids and fat
rous fish do not actually need fishmeal itself; rather, they • Improves palatability and growth performance
need the specific nutrients that fishmeal naturally pro- • Enhances immune response in fish and shrimp
vides. This is exactly what we at Unibio focus on: devel- • Is free from pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and an-
oping a nutritious, scalable and cost-effective alternative tibiotics
to fishmeal in animal feed without depleting oceans, for- • Does not contain genetically modified microorgan-
ests, or arable land. isms (non-GMO)
16 Vol. 41 No. 8