Co-op seafood sourcing chief to research salmon feed sustainability
Aisla Jones, fish sustainability manager for the Co-op retail chain, is to research the sustainability of salmon feed after receiving a scholarship from the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust (NFST).
Jones is responsible for overseeing the sourcing of all seafood across the UK’s fifth-largest retailer. Her work includes developing a seafood policy which addresses the environmental, welfare, and human rights challenges in both wild and farmed seafood sourcing.
She is keen to investigate the opportunities for improving the sustainability of feed ingredients within the diets of Scottish salmon and to understand the role that retailers can play in this, said NFST. The title of her project is “How can retail and supply chains create demand for more sustainable aquaculture feed?”
MarinTrust governing committee
Jones has degrees in zoology and marine biology and is a member of the governing body committee of marine ingredients certification company MarinTrust.
She joined the Co-op in November 2016 after spending two years as the World Wildlife Fund-UK’s seafood sustainability officer.
Jones is among 20 Scholars from across UK farming and rural industries who will seek guidance from industry leaders, experts and pioneers as they undertake their studies.
Passion and potential
“Following an unprecedented and challenging year for UK agriculture, we are pleased to announce our 2021 Scholars,” said Mike Vacher, Nuffield Farming director. “They have been carefully selected for both their passion for their chosen topic, and for their potential as future leaders within UK agriculture. A Nuffield scholarship is a life changing experience, and will no doubt prove invaluable to both Scholar businesses and to the industry as a whole.”
The NFST awards approximately 20 scholarships annually in the UK to people between the ages of 22 and 45 from across the agricultural industry.
There is no need for formal qualifications to apply; instead, the Trust looks to unlock an individual’s potential and broaden horizons through study and travel overseas. Scholars are selected with a view to developing tomorrow’s leaders within their individual business and the whole industry.
