Salmon benchmarking programs use production data to identify welfare problems and drive industry improvement. This data-driven approach is transforming welfare standards across major producing countries.
Benchmarking transforms welfare from a subjective claim to a measurable, comparable metric. When farms see their own performance relative to industry peers, there is strong motivation to improve. The welfare-productivity alignment makes the business case compelling: farms with lower mortality, fewer sea lice treatments, and better gill health consistently show better financial returns. Certification schemes like RSPCA Assured and GlobalG.A.P. increasingly require farms to submit benchmarking data. Consumer-facing labels tied to independently verified welfare scores represent the next evolution. The challenge is ensuring benchmarking represents genuine animal experience, not just easily gamed production metrics.