In the vast, biodiverse expanse of the Amazon rainforest, a subtle but significant transformation is underway—one that could redefine regional approaches to food security while markedly reducing environmental impacts. Recent scientific investigations reveal that aquaculture, the practice of cultivating aquatic organisms such as fish in controlled environments, offers an extraordinarily promising alternative to traditional livestock farming, notorious for its deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. This emerging paradigm could foster sustainable food production in the Amazon basin, mitigating ecological harm while supporting local economies and global markets.
Aquaculture’s environmental footprint in the Amazon is remarkably less taxing than that of cattle ranching. Quantitative assessments indicate that fish farming generates greenhouse gas emissions nearly ten times lower than those from livestock farming per ton of animal protein produced. Even more striking is the land-use efficiency: aquaculture requires between 20 and 100 times less land per ton of protein compared to livestock. These figures underline the critical advantage aquaculture holds as a scalable, climate-friendly food source, especially amidst mounting urgency to curb deforestation and carbon output in one of the world’s most crucial carbon sinks.
The impetus for this conclusion comes from an interdisciplinary research collaboration involving scientists from Brazil and the United States. Their findings were recently published in Nature Sustainability, providing a robust scientific framework for understanding how aquaculture can be harmonized with environmental conservation policies. Notably, the lead author, Felipe Pacheco, a researcher affiliated with Cornell University’s Eric & Wendy Schmidt AI in Science program, points out that despite the explosive growth of aquaculture since the 1980s in the Amazon, much remains to be explored regarding its ecological and socio-economic ramifications.
Data was meticulously collected from five Amazonian countries—Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru—highlighting Brazil’s dominant role in the region’s aquaculture industry. The state of Rondônia emerges as a focal point for the production of native fish species, including tambaqui, a species revered for its adaptability, rapid growth, and efficient feed conversion. These characteristics not only render tambaqui a sustainable alternative to cattle but also position it for expanded cultivation and entry into international markets, a prospect underlined by Marta Ummus of EMBRAPA Fisheries and Aquaculture.
For policymakers and practitioners, the research underscores the necessity of basing expansion strategies on rigorous scientific data that respect ecological thresholds. Aquaculture’s potential growth in the Amazon is contingent upon effective environmental licensing protocols, which currently vary widely among states, complicating efforts to enforce sustainable practices. Continuous environmental monitoring becomes paramount to ensure compliance and safeguard biodiversity while facilitating responsible industry development.
A troubling legacy of some current practices includes river damming for fish farming, which disrupts aquatic connectivity and imperils native species crucial to both ecosystems and local fisheries. Further issues emerge from inadequate management of feed inputs, leading to excessive organic matter accumulation in ponds. This accumulation catalyzes methane emissions—an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide—and nutrient runoff that can destabilize riverine food webs, amplifying environmental degradation if not properly controlled.
Encouragingly, the study highlights the opportunity to utilize degraded pastures—land already impacted by deforestation and cattle grazing—for aquaculture infrastructure. This strategy offers a twofold benefit: it curbs further forest loss and optimizes land productivity. Empirical evidence supports that converting these marginal lands for aquaculture produces fewer greenhouse gases relative to allowing lands to remain abandoned or to continue livestock grazing, promoting a much-needed shift toward restorative land use.
Sustainable aquaculture expansion is envisioned as a corrective response to the environmental missteps of cattle ranching, especially in regions like Rondônia. Here, deforested areas have often been rendered ecologically and economically unproductive, and in many cases, simply left fallow. Transitioning these landscapes into aquaculture sites could revitalize local economies and ecosystems, provided the activity is guided by environmental safeguards and respects local carrying capacities. Carolina Doria, a professor at the Federal University of Rondônia, asserts that such an approach would enable more productive and sustainable land usage without opening new forest fronts.
Competition between native and exotic species poses another challenge. While the Amazonian basin specializes in native species cultivation—such as tambaqui, pirapitinga, pacu, and pirarucu—the widespread appeal of exotic fish, particularly tilapia, threatens ecological balance. Tilapia farming is well-established globally due to its high consumer demand and advanced cultivation protocols developed predominantly outside Brazil. Yet, the escape of such non-native species into wild environments can disrupt native populations via competition and predation, threatening biodiversity.
Brazil stands as the world’s fourth-largest tilapia producer, with the fish accounting for 65% of the country’s aquaculture output. Despite this, the study accentuates the genetic and cultivation potential of tambaqui, whose wild populations can serve as reservoirs for disease resistance and growth efficiency traits. The controlled expansion of native species aquaculture is posited as a more ecologically harmonious strategy, mitigating the risks associated with invasive aquaculture species.
Importantly, aquaculture extends benefits beyond environmental sustainability, offering social and economic security in Amazonian communities. It provides a more stable and predictable source of income compared to wild fishing, which can be uncertain due to variability in stock availability and regulatory restrictions. The sector, however, requires inclusive policies that support producers across scales—from smallholders to large enterprises—ensuring equitable development and capacity building.
Behind these prospects lies significant institutional collaboration and financial support. Alongside FAPESP, the Tocantins Research Support Foundation (FAPT) and the Foundation for the Support of the Development of Scientific and Technological Actions and Research in Rondônia (FAPERO) co-funded the research. These efforts are part of the Amazon+10 Initiative, a comprehensive network comprising all 27 Brazilian state research funding agencies and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). This alliance aims to deepen understanding of the Amazon’s biodiversity and socio-environmental dynamics, crucial for sustainable development strategies.
Ultimately, this research elucidates a clear pathway toward more sustainable aquaculture in the Amazon, balancing human livelihood needs with the imperative to preserve one of Earth’s most vital ecosystems. By harnessing native species, implementing rigorous environmental monitoring, leveraging degraded land, and fostering inclusive policy frameworks, aquaculture could become a cornerstone of Amazonian food security and environmental stewardship in the coming decades.
Subject of Research: Sustainable aquaculture development in the Amazon region to enhance food security and reduce environmental impacts.
Article Title: Towards sustainable aquaculture in the Amazon
News Publication Date: 24-Jan-2025
Web References:
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-024-01500-w
- https://agencia.fapesp.br/38000
- https://bv.fapesp.br/en/auxilios/111238
- https://bv.fapesp.br/en/pesquisador/75308/felipe-siqueira-pacheco
- https://bv.fapesp.br/en/pesquisador/61236/marta-eichemberger-ummus
- https://www.to.gov.br/fapt
- https://rondonia.ro.gov.br/fapero/
- https://www.amazoniamaisdez.org.br/en/
References:
Pacheco, F. S. et al. (2025). Towards sustainable aquaculture in the Amazon. Nature Sustainability. DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01500-w
Image Credits: Felipe Pacheco
Keywords: Ichthyology; Food production; Sustainable development; Food security; Environmental issues; Fish; Rainforests
