Environmental certifications in Brazilian aquaculture

Abstract

Environmental certificates in aquaculture are becoming important market tools throughout the world. However, there are important regional and national differences, and Brazil, due to the low number of certified companies, deserves specific research. A preliminary analysis of the Brazilian aquaculture market shows a large market with strong growth and more than 25 cultivated species, but where 80% of the turnover is focused on tilapia, tambaqui, and white shrimp, primarily targeting the domestic market with very few exceptions to the external market. These particular conditions seem to explain the low number of certified aquaculture companies, even when compared to other countries in the region with similar or smaller aquaculture industries. This study interviewed managers from 80 companies in the Brazilian aquaculture production chain, including all certified companies. The results seem to be in line with previous studies conducted in different parts of the world. The main benefits associated with aquaculture certifications are access to new markets and production improvement, while the main barriers to certification are high costs, lack of awareness, bureaucracy, or lack of government support. Certified Brazilian aquaculture companies share similar characteristics among themselves but differ from most companies in Brazil; they are all large-scale firms, mainly related to tilapia production and oriented towards the international market. The low number of certified companies seems to be linked to the large demand for aquatic products in Brazil that even Brazilian aquaculture firms cannot satisfy.