Three Years of Progress: The ASC Feed Certification Programme’s Global Impact
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is marking a significant milestone: three years since the implementation of the
ASC Feed Standard.
As of January 2026, the initiative has gained impressive traction, boasting
91 ASC-certified feed mills across 28 countries.
These certified feed mills are at the forefront of industry transformation, directly influencing both upstream suppliers and downstream customers.
They are fostering greater transparency and responsibility within aquafeed supply chains, thereby facilitating continuous improvements.
“Feed is one of the most powerful levers for change in aquaculture,” states Aisla Jones, Feed Engagement and UK Markets Manager at ASC.
“The progress of the ASC Feed Certification Programme over the past three years shows what is possible when collaboration sits at the center of sustainability efforts.
From feed mills to ingredient producers, fisheries, and certification partners, the programme is aligning expectations and creating credible pathways for improvement across complex global supply chains.”
Key Objectives of the ASC Feed Certification Programme
The
ASC Feed Certification Programme
is integral to the ASC’s vision of driving significant positive impact across aquaculture.
Designed to embed environmentally and socially responsible practices at the feed ingredient level, the programme addresses critical challenges such as deforestation,
illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overfishing, and forced labor.
ASC mandates the use of responsibly produced ingredients in aquafeeds. Notably, for marine ingredients, the Standard features a unique improvement model requiring feed mills
to source increasingly from better-managed fisheries over time.
Organizations like MarinTrust and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), both compliant under the ISEAL Code, are pivotal in facilitating this progression.
Significant Milestones Achieved
The latter half of 2025 was marked by two essential milestones for the ASC Feed Certification Programme:
-
On October 31, 2025, it became a mandatory requirement for ASC-certified farms to utilize feed from
ASC-certified mills, enhancing the integrity and transparency of supply chains. -
On December 19, 2025, the
ASC Feed Standard V1.2
and
Feed Interpretation Manual V1.2
were released. The updates reflect the complexity of ingredient sourcing while bolstering data transparency, reporting requirements, and improvement expectations.
Both the ASC Feed Standard and ASC Farm Standard are cornerstone elements of the broader ASC Certification Programme.
They ensure that responsible farming practices are founded on responsible feed, reinforcing ASC’s comprehensive approach to transforming seafood farming across the value chain.
Beginning on February 2, 2026, the ASC Feed Standard V1.2 will be mandatory; any feed mill audits conducted on or after this date must adhere to this version alongside the ASC Farm and Feed CAR v1.0,
further enhancing alignment between feed and farm standards.
Looking Ahead
Throughout 2026, ASC plans to continue its focus on engagement and collaboration. The organization aims to align with a diverse range of feed ingredient manufacturers, raw material producers, certifiers, and supply chain actors across various ingredient sources, including marine, plant-based, and emerging components such as insects and algae.
For more information, please visit the ASC News.
