Photo: EMBRAPA

New Standards to Trace Aquaculture’s Carbon Footprint

BRAZIL
Thursday, May 07, 2026, 06:00 (GMT + 9)

FAO and Embrapa partner to bridge the "technical void" in greenhouse gas reporting for the world's fastest-growing food sector.

In a landmark move to bring transparency to the blue economy, an international project led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and coordinated by Embrapa Meio Ambiente is developing the first-ever global standard for measuring greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions in aquaculture. The initiative aims to present a formal methodology to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , finally allowing aquatic food-producing nations to accurately report their environmental impact.

Photo: FAO

Despite the sector's massive scale, aquaculture has historically been a "blind spot" in national climate inventories. While livestock and traditional agriculture have rigorous IPCC guidelines, fish and shellfish farming lack a standardized roadmap.

“Today, one of the main bottlenecks in sustainable aquaculture is the lack of reliable metrics for greenhouse gas emissions and removals. Without this, it becomes difficult to guide public policies or assess the real impact of the technologies adopted in the field,” says Fernanda Sampaio , a researcher at Embrapa Meio Ambiente who coordinates the project.

The Urgency of the "Blue Revolution"

The need for clarity has never been more pressing. According to the FAO's "State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" (SOFIA) report, aquaculture production hit a record 130.9 million tons in 2022. For the first time in history, farmed production accounted for 51% of total global aquatic animal output, surpassing wild capture fisheries.

As production shifts toward giants like China and Brazil , the lack of data for systems like excavated ponds and bivalve cultivation (oysters and mussels) creates a significant hurdle for international financing and climate policy.

“Without consolidated guidelines, production systems such as fish farming in excavated ponds and the cultivation of bivalves—like oysters and mussels—remain outside the scope of international methodologies. This prevents accurate estimates of GHG emissions and removals from being officially reported, creating a technical void that compromises comparability,” says Sampaio .

A Scientific Coalition

To solve this, Embrapa is managing a diverse task force of experts from Brazil , China , the United States , Uruguay , and Zimbabwe . The project will leverage advanced technologies, including remote sensing and predictive modeling , to calculate emission factors and carbon sequestration in regions where data is currently scarce.

Several Embrapa divisions are contributing specialized expertise:

• Embrapa Cerrados and Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste : Characterizing excavated ponds globally.

• Embrapa Territorial : Monitoring systems via satellite, in partnership with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) .

• International Relations Office : Aligning the new framework with IPCC protocols.

Lucíola Magalhães , deputy head of R&D at Embrapa Territorial , notes that the project will do more than just provide numbers; it will provide a roadmap for producers. “By advancing in the standardization of metrics, we create a solid foundation not only for public policies, but also for technology transfer actions with producers, contributing to more efficient systems with a smaller environmental footprint,” she emphasizes.

The Path to Consensus

The final phase of the project will culminate in an international workshop held in Brazil . This summit will serve as the final validation point for the methodology before it is submitted to the IPCC , ensuring that the future of aquaculture is not just productive, but scientifically accountable on the global stage.

🇯🇵 Japanese

Breeding industry's new benchmark

FAO's Embrapa support, the world's most rapidly growing food company's greenhouse effect report, "Technology's Blank" report.

ブルーエコノミーにTransparency をもたらすな动きとして of the painting period, led by the International Federation of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Embrapa Meio Ambiente Adjustment Service International Laboratories, Aquaculture Industry Greenhouse Effects (GHG ) ) The discharge amount is determined based on the standards set by the world at the beginning of the world.この取り组みは、気后変动に关するIntergovernmental Committee (IPCC) Official Methodology Proposal することをPurpose としており, the final report on the environmental impact of the country where the seafood is produced is the correct report on the environmental impact of the country.

It has a huge scale, a large scale, and a long history of breeding industry. The climate catalog of each country (インベントリ) is the "dead spot" of each country. The livestock industry is a traditional agricultural industry and the IPCC is a traditional agricultural industry. , fish and shellfish farming and standardization of fish and shellfish farming.

"Today, it is possible for the breeding industry to be a breeding industry, and the greenhouse effect isガスの出と不了する信格できるINDICATOR の无如です これがないと、公. Public policy guidance, on-site adoption of technology, and impact on the environment.することがdifficultyになります」と、プロジェクトのadjusted を行うEmbrapa Meio Ambiente researcher, Fernanda Sampaio 's は书べています.

The urgency of "ブルー・レボリューション (Blue Revolution)"

It is necessary to clarify the necessity of the standard and the high standard. According to the FAO 's "White Paper on World Fisheries and Aquaculture" (SOFIA) report, the aquaculture production volume in 2022 was recorded at 130.9 million tons . At the beginning of history, aquaculture production accounted for 51% of the world's total aquatic animal production , and the natural fish catch accounted for the last time.

The production point is the Chineseやブラジルのような大国にシフトする中, the digging pond is the breeding of two shellfish (カキやムール贝) and There is a shortage of environmental protection measures, international financial support and climate change policies, and a large barrier and barrier.

"Integrated fish breeding, fish breeding in the pond, and two shells in the sea Shell cultivation and production, international methodology and method.れにより, GHG の discharge amount and removal amount の correct な estimation を formula に report す る こ と が で き な く な り, ratio It is more likely that the technology will be compromised by the "な白が生じてしまいます" Sampaio family's べています.

Scientific unity

これをsolvedするために、Embrapa Japan , China , United States of America , Japan , Japanンバブエの専门家からなる多様なタスクフォースをmanagement しています. TECHNICAL​​​​をUtilize し, and now the データががしいregional における discharge coefficient and carbon fixed amount をcalculate します.

Embrapa 's plural department's knowledge is provided by:

• Embrapa CerradosおよびEmbrapa Agropecuária Oeste : Evaluation of the characteristics of excavated pools around the world .

• Embrapa Territorial : The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) monitors joint operations and satellite surveillance.

• Bureau of International Relations : New IPCC IPCC Adjustment.

Lucíola , Deputy Responsible for Research and Development of Embrapa Territorial Magalhães 's は、このプロジェクトが単にdigitsをprovided by するだけでなく、Producer のためのロードマップをprovides することになると気ています. "Standardization of indicators, advancement of public policy, strengthening of technology transfer activities for producers The foundation is built, the environmental load is reduced, the efficiency is reduced, and the contribution of the efficiency is emphasized.

The way of agreement

The final stage of the プロジェクトの, the ブラジルで开気される国际ワークショップでめくくられるです.このサミットは、Methodology をIPCCにProposed する前のFinal な検证の场となり、The future of breeding industry が単にProduced by the company, the international stage, the science, the responsibility, the fruit, the guarantee, the guarantee.

Source: Embrapa Environment Press Office

🇨🇳 Simplified Chinese

New Standards for Tracking the Carbon Footprint of Aquaculture

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has partnered with Embrapa to fill a "technology gap" in the greenhouse gas report for the world's fastest-growing food sector.

To bring transparency to the blue economy, an international project led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and coordinated by Embrapa Meio Ambiente is developing the world's first standard to measure greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions from aquaculture. The initiative aims to submit a formal methodology to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , ultimately enabling aquatic food producing countries to accurately report their environmental impact.

Despite its large size, aquaculture has historically been a "blind spot" in national climate inventories. While livestock and traditional agriculture have stringent IPCC guidelines, fish and shellfish farming lacks a standardized roadmap.

“One of the major bottlenecks to sustainable aquaculture today is the lack of reliable greenhouse gas emissions and removal metrics. Without these metrics, it is difficult to guide public policy or assess the actual impact of technologies adopted in the field,” said Fernanda Sampaio, an Embrapa Meio Ambiente researcher who coordinated the project .

The urgency of the "Blue Revolution"

The need for clear standards has never been more urgent. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization 's State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) report, aquaculture production reached a record 130.9 million tons in 2022. For the first time, aquaculture production accounted for 51% of global aquatic animal production , surpassing that of wild-caught fisheries.

As production centers shift to large countries like China and Brazil , a lack of data on pond excavation and bivalve aquaculture systems (such as oysters and mussels) creates significant obstacles for international financing and climate policy.

“Without unified guidelines, production systems such as pond fish farming and bivalve aquaculture (such as oysters and mussels) will remain outside the scope of international methodologies. This leads to an inability to formally report accurate estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and removals, creating a technological vacuum that impairs comparability,” Sampaio said.

Science Alliance

To address this issue, Embrapa is managing a diverse working group comprised of experts from Brazil , China , the United States , Uruguay , and Zimbabwe . The project will utilize advanced technologies, including remote sensing and predictive modeling , to calculate emission factors and carbon sequestration in regions where data is currently scarce.

Multiple Embrapa departments are contributing their expertise:

• Embrapa Cerrados and Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste : Responsible for the characterization of excavated ponds worldwide .

• Embrapa Territorial : In cooperation with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA), these systems are monitored via satellite.

• Office of International Relations : Coordinate the development of guidelines that conform to the IPCC model.

Lucíola Magalhães, Deputy Head of Research and Development at Embrapa Territorial, pointed out that the project will not only provide data but also a roadmap for producers. “By promoting the standardization of indicators, we are laying a solid foundation not only for public policy but also for technology transfer actions with producers, helping to build systems with smaller environmental footprints and higher efficiency,” she emphasized.

The Road to Consensus

The final phase of the project is expected to include an international symposium in Brazil . This summit will serve as a final validation point before the methodology is submitted to the IPCC , ensuring that the future of aquaculture is not only highly productive but also scientifically accountable on the global stage.

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www.seafood.media

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