ABOUT US
Introduction
The aquaculture feed industry is made up of a multitude of larger and smaller feed manufacturers with very different scientific and technical capabilities, logistical and financial resources. The large number of aquatic species and live stages cultivated, the diversity of production systems used and the broad number of feed ingredients used in the production of feed are creating a challenging environment for aquaculture feed formulators around the world. The International Aquaculture Feed Formulation Database (IAFFD), previously known the Asian Aquaculture Feed Formulation Database (AAFFD), is an open access, free of charge, database that answers some important needs of this industry.
Development of IAFFD
The IAFFD was developed by a consortium comprised of the University of Guelph’s Fish Nutrition Research Laboratory (UG-FNRL Guelph, ON, Canada), and Seafood Consulting Associates (Bangkok, Thailand), with the support of the United States Soybean Export Council (USSEC), MITACS (Canada) and the Maximizing Agricultural Revenue through Knowledge, Enterprise Development and Trade (MARKET) Project, an initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Our Objectives
We want to drive is both least cost and nutrient-based formulation in the industry. The IAFFD should contribute greatly to the intensive development of cost-effective aquaculture feeds. The purpose of this database is to provide industry stakeholders with a functional understanding of the nutritional requirements of a large number of species at different life stages, as well as the accurate characterization of the nutritive value of different feed ingredients. It could also act as a valuable training tool and a benchmark to compare other databases to.
IAFFD Modules and their uses
The IAFFD is comprised of two major modules: 1) the Feed Ingredient Composition Database (FICD) containing detailed information on the chemical composition and nutritional value of around 500 ingredients, and 2) the Aquaculture Species Nutritional Specifications Database (ASNS) including nutrient specifications for over 30 species or groups of species that are commercially important in Asia and elsewhere.
Data in ASNS is derived largely from a nutritional modeling effort that is built on the standardized compilation, integration, and analysis of available scientific and technical data obtained. Data in the FICD comes from the compilation of information from a variety of documents and databases on the chemical composition and nutritive value of about 400 feed ingredients that can potentially be used in aquaculture feeds.
All the data contained in this database are guidelines. These guidelines are intended to assist International aquaculture feed manufacturers in making informed decisions regarding the formulation of feeds for different species at different life stages or different weight ranges. The IAFFD is a reference tool and cannot substitute itself for the research, analyses and due diligence that a feed manufacturer should carry out.
How to access IAFFD
The IAFFD is accessible through a user-friendly cloud-based interface so that feed manufacturers, aquaculture producers and other industry stakeholders can more easily and effectively utilize these tools and work cooperatively to generate knowledge required to meet current and future challenges in the aquaculture industry. The information in the database can be easily exported as .csv documents, viewable through Microsoft Excel and available for import into various feed formulation software.
Access to the IAFFD is free of charge. First-time users simply need to register to provide the consortium with statistics about the use of the database. After logging in, user are granted free access to the two databases and a series of technical documents.
Your feedback is valuable.
Users and other industry stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on the information contained in the databases and on the web interface. Feedback and cooperation from aquaculture industry stakeholders is sought with the goal of continuously improving the value and comprehensiveness of information offered by the IAFFD.
