#8 Innovative Business Case: Gårdsfisk (SE)
- Introducing high environmental standards in aquaculture
- Protecting aquatic ecosystems while producing organic crops
- Boosting rural economy with a new business model and economic opportunities
When they started Gårdsfisk in 2013, the two owners of this Swedish start-up had a vision: to produce the world’s most sustainable fish, changing the Swedish fish production. Not many people believed in this project at the beginning; quite understandably, considering their budget and that they wanted to create something that did not exist yet, meaning integrating farming and aquaculture.
The main idea was to create an inland fish farm that – being a closed system – does not contaminate surrounding aquatic ecosystems with diseases, antibiotics or alien species. Their method is based on the principle of circularity. They reuse the water and minimise the use of energy. The excess of nutrients and waste from fish breeding are employed in the farm to fertilise crops, which in the future are expected to be used as fish feed. No medicines are used, so the cultivation is very natural.
Gårdsfisk sells its fish only in Sweden, reducing the environmental impact linked to transport and long supply chains. Their methods respect the WWF fish guide and in 2016 they won the Angel Awards for their environmental efforts.
Today their system has proven scalable. The owners cooperate with high schools to advise students interested in the business concept. They also provide counselling and a franchise concept to farmers willing to integrate their traditional farm with aquaculture.
Now their new vision is to rebalance fish populations in the oceans by taking market shares from less sustainable alternatives and transferring their business model to help others produce the most sustainable fish in the world.
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