REBALANCE: Towards economic, environmental, and social sustainability in the Norwegian salmon farming industry

Societal challenges related to climate change and increased social inequality mean that food production must focus on more than just growth and profitability. Activities must also contribute to environmental and societal sustainable development. This project will discuss the challenges and dilemmas the Norwegian salmon farming industry faces to ensure a more balanced and sustainable development. Over the past decade, the industry has seen considerable profitability. At the same time, it has been confronted with several environmental challenges, such as salmon lice leading to high mortality, the escape of salmon from fish pens, and the use of feed ingredients that do no promote sustainability. Furthermore, the industry has also been criticised for not sufficiently contributing to societal development and mainly enriching owners and investors. Salmon farming is located in coastal areas and relies on communal resources, and it is also expected to strengthen local communities. Many also wish for a more significant portion of the profit to contribute to the larger society through taxation. In this project, we will discuss how the industry can better handle its complex challenges. What constitutes a sustainable business model within salmon farming? How can an environmental focus be profitable? How can the industry enhance its social legitimacy, and how can industry policy be formulated to promote economic, environmental and social sustainability? The study will be based on a wide range of data. We will conduct case studies of communities where salmon farming holds a central position. Additionally, we will analyse the key supplier networks within the industry and how these can become more sustainable. We will also uncover how the Norwegian population views salmon farming and its challenges. Finally, we will discuss Norwegian salmon farming policy and how it can promote sustainable development.

The grand challenges of climate change and social justice mean that industrial food systems should not only strive to become economically sound but also environmentally and socially viable. This project examines interdependencies between the economic, environmental, and social dimensions in the Norwegian salmon farming industry. This industry is economically well off with high profitability (especially in the last decade) but has been confronted with several (and mounting) environmental issues (sea lice, ocean floor waste, escape of fish, feed ingredients). It has also been criticized for a lack of contribution to value creation and value capture both locally and nationally. To strengthen its legitimacy, the industry needs to reduce its (negative) environmental impact and increase its (positive) societal impact. This project will elaborate on how the Norwegian salmon farming industry can grapple with environmental issues that currently hinder expansion and growth, and at the same time contribute to societal well-being. The project will identify barriers and drivers for ongoing transition processes, investigate dilemmas associated with rebalancing the economic, environmental, and social dimensions, analyze how the industry can ensure legitimacy, and explore the role of policy for these transition processes. The study will be based on a combination of register data, case studies of selected salmon farming hubs, stakeholder interviews, socio-technical configuration analysis (STCA), and Discrete Choice Experiments (DCE). The project will develop new knowledge about how the salmon farming industry can develop onwards in ways that are not environmentally harmful, and that contribute to value creation and value capture both locally and nationally. Our combination of economic geography, socio-technical transition studies, and the literature on sustainable business models provide new insights into how the plethora of transition opportunities is materialized.