Search Climate Insights Directory

The report examines the FAO's aquaculture growth targets and the 2025 Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA), arguing that they lack necessary protections to prevent the diversion of edible wild fish into fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO). Through modelling and case studies in West Africa, the document demonstrates how feed-intensive aquaculture increases pressure on wild fisheries and undermines local food security, particularly for vulnerable populations in Africa and Asia. It further alleges that the FAO's policy framing has been influenced by industry interests, shifting from a 'food-first' approach to one focused on efficiency and 'responsible sourcing' that permits continued extractive growth.

The report evaluates 10 water retention projects in Manitoba's Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District, finding that such projects generally provide positive economic returns, particularly for livestock producers. While upfront construction costs are the primary expense, benefits include flood and drought protection, improved water quality, and operational efficiencies. A cost-benefit analysis indicates an average benefit-cost ratio of 3.16 for livestock producers over a 20-year period, though crop-only operations showed lower returns due to high initial costs and fewer on-farm co-benefits.

The report details the results of the BONUS RETURN project, which identified and evaluated ecotechnologies for recovering nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon from wastewater and agriculture in the Baltic Sea Region. While agricultural waste recovery often showed positive net present value, wastewater technologies typically required expensive infrastructure, leading to negative net present values. The project emphasizes that transitioning to a circular nutrient economy requires shifting away from linear 'silo' thinking, harmonizing EU regulations for phosphorus, and adjusting fertilizer pricing to account for environmental externalities.

The BONUS RETURN project focuses on the implementation of eco-technologies in three river basins: Vantaanjoki (Finland), Słupia (Poland), and Fyrisån (Sweden). During its first year, the project established a broad definition of 'eco-technologies' as "human interventions in social- ecological systems in the form of practices and/or biological, physical, and chemical processes designed to minimise harm to the environment and provide services of value to society." Key activities included a systematic review of 77 articles to define the term, a search of nearly 35,000 records to identify existing technologies in agriculture and wastewater treatment, and the establishment of stakeholder platforms in the three catchment areas. Additionally, the project launched the 'Nutrients and Carbon Reuse Challenge', attracting 15 European applicants and selecting three winning innovations for pre-commercialization planning. Technical work included collecting data for SWAT modelling to establish baseline phosphorus (Ptot) and nitrogen (Ntot) loadings in the case study areas.