Animal food demand from a growing global population is expected to be met by aquaculture, particularly by a farmed salmon industry that is heavily reliant on wild fish resources, leading to concerns that expansion of salmon markets is not environmentally sustainable. In the UK, farmed salmon is the largest food export and has become a staple fish product in supermarkets and consumer diets. Yet little is known about the functioning and structure of salmon markets, limiting understanding of how salmon attained its high-production status, and the mechanisms underpinning future salmon expansion.
We aim to fill this gap, using key informant interviews to understand the market-making of Scottish salmon since 1990. This research will provide insights for market interventions that promote sustainable forms of salmon and ensure that market expansion operates within a seafood system that benefits stakeholders, consumers, and the environment. This project addresses UN SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and tackles Grand Challenges through interdisciplinary research (business, marketing, food, sustainability, environmental sciences), This project is funded by Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) Pump Prime Scheme.