Sustainable seafood solutions are anything but simple. Part of the reason for this is that there are many producers that operate on a small scale. These producers have powerful stories which could be unlocked but only if by preserving the identity of the product while delivering transparency and trust. It is exactly similar to buying food from a neighboring farm where we know the product is best quality, produced in the best method while on top we know the farmer themselves but instead we are trying to do that across cultures and across the globe. Taking a leap much forward and far from

this, the seafood industry is a highly fragmented and diverse sector in which we have to offer the simplified way to offer identity preservation for both ends at farmer and customer. What we have been doing with the current approach of the industrialization of certification has not been able to address this complexity and as a result is unaffordable for many farmers. As an example, this has resulted in less than 5% of the global farmed shrimp sector being certified.

The potential demand for products from small producers that can preserve identity and transparency is high. While seafood has not been a frontliner in this concept, we need to change our behavior in a more systemic way and localize it. Identity preserved seafood production means the unique traits, story of farmers, story of community and quality characteristics of a variety are maintained from when crop is started through harvested, transported, processed and served to customers. The development of partnerships with small scale producers stands as the key tool to make this a reality along with the right storyteller, and adherence to all components needed to provide the highest quality.

We seek to discuss the viability of this concept in a panel session with other first movers to answer questions of where it brings, what it looks like and what it would cost.