Ex-Dawnfresh farming chief will lead ASC engagement with fish producers
Hutchins handed pivotal role at certification body
Certification organisation the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has appointed Alison Hutchins as producer engagement director, a new role created to strengthen collaboration with producers globally.
Hutchins joined ASC in 2022 and previously held the position of innovation director. With an MSc in Aquaculture from the University of Stirling, she has more than 20 years’ experience in aquaculture, including four years as farming director at what was then the UK’s largest trout farming company, Dawnfresh Farming Ltd.
Her career also spans roles with the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), the Scottish Salmon Company (now Bakkafrost Scotland) and Marine Harvest (now Mowi).
Stronger relationships
In her new role, Hutchins will focus on building stronger relationships with producers, supporting them through the two-year transition period for the ASC Farm Standard, and ensuring their perspectives are embedded across ASC work. She will also be responsible for producer outreach in the UK.
It’s essential that producer perspectives are fully integrated into programme development, and that market needs and messages are clearly understood and communicated.
“Engaging producers effectively around the world is central to our success,” said Hutchins. “My focus is on developing and delivering our global producer engagement strategy that aligns with our organisational goals.
“I’ll also be leading on managing relationships with producers at a top-to-top level and ensuring strong coordination across teams to deliver consistent support for key accounts. It’s essential that producer perspectives are fully integrated into programme development, and that market needs and messages are clearly understood and communicated.
“Alongside this, I’ll be coordinating and supporting the producer engagement team, and helping to ensure the effective delivery of both Farm and Feed certification.”
Engagement team
The producer engagement team includes Laetitia Rosing (producer outreach Nordics), Koji Yamamoto (producer engagement lead Southeast Asia) and Marcos Moya (producer outreach lead Mediterranean, Latin American and India).
Ally Dingwall, chief technical officer at ASC, said: “Producers are at the heart of the ASC mission to drive environmental and social responsibility in aquaculture. Alison’s leadership will be pivotal in deepening engagement and ensuring producers are well supported as we continue to implement our standards and strengthen the integrity of the programme.”
