Aquaculture’s Premier Conference
Connect. Collaborate. Commit.
Spotlights
Key Conference Program Topics
- Production Data & Analysis
- International Trade
- Responsible Sourcing
- Consumer Education & Marketing
- Social Accountability & Worker Voice
- Food Safety
- Animal Health & Welfare
- Antibiotics & Antimicrobial Resistance
- Environmental Responsibility
- Climate Change
- Innovation & Technology
- Wild Fisheries
Featured Retail & Foodservice Buyers
- Ahold Delhaize
- Bon Appétit Management Company
- Brakes Group
- Direct Seafood
- Gordon Food Service
- Harvest Food Distributors
- Hello Fresh
- Hema Fresh/Alibaba
- Publix
- Red Lobster
- Sam's Club
- Sysco
- US Foods
- Walmart
- The Walt Disney Company
GOAL Goes Virtual in 2020!
The world is changing, and so is GAA’s annual GOAL conference. This year, GOAL will be held virtually. Since its inception in 2001, GOAL has built a reputation for quality. Expect the same degree of quality with a virtual experience, with live streaming, live Q&A and polling, virtual meetings, virtual networking and matchmaking opportunities, and on-demand access to recorded program sessions. It’s the next best thing to a live experience. Next year, GOAL will return to Tokyo, Japan, featuring a “hybrid” experience with both a live event and a virtual event occurring simultaneously.
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Join Us Virtually for GOAL 2020
GOAL 2019 Highlights: Innovation Award Winner Ace Aquatec
GOAL 2019 Highlights: Student Culinary Competition
Aquaculture is a rapidly growing sector where change is fast and often disruptive.
The Global Aquaculture Alliance’s annual Global Outlook for Aquaculture Leadership (GOAL) conference keeps you ahead of the curve. Join other forward-thinking leaders from across the global aquaculture value chain in reviewing production, sustainability, innovation and market drivers. You’ll come away with valuable knowledge, strategic relationships and an understanding of emerging issues and solutions.
GAA’s GOAL 2020 conference will be held virtually from Oct. 6 to 8.
About GOAL
We value your membership
To show our appreciation for your support, this year we’re opening the GOAL conference to all individual and corporate members at no additional cost. To access the functionality of the virtual event — including live streaming, live Q&A and polling, virtual meetings, virtual networking and matchmaking opportunities, and on-demand access to recordings of the live stream — you simply need to be a member. Your support allows us to continue to act as a voice for responsible aquaculture and organize pre-competitive activities such as GOAL. Save the date!
For corporate members interested in leveraging their relationship with GAA and bolstering their visibility throughout the aquaculture community, sponsorship opportunities are available. Your support through membership and sponsorship also allows us to share the live stream of the virtual event with members of GAA’s strategic partners. We can all agree that a more informed, better educated aquaculture community benefits us all. Here are the options for participating in and sponsoring the virtual event.
GOAL 2020?
GOAL 2020 Conference Program Outline
This year’s virtual event consists of seven separate sessions running from Tuesday, Oct. 6, to Thursday, Oct. 8. Time for meetings and networking will be worked into the schedule as the program takes shape. Here is an outline of the program, with times to be determined. Topics include the 14th annual aquaculture production forecast for shrimp and finfish, based on GAA’s exclusive aquaculture production survey; the second annual “Farmers’ Day” addressing the latest challenges and opportunities in animal health management; the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafood trading, marketing and consumption; the business case for sustainability being at the heart of corporate strategy; a synopsis of who’s at the leading edge of aquaculture innovation and technology; and, for the first time ever at GOAL, an in-depth look at the shared responsibilities facing both wild fisheries and aquaculture. Save the date!
Monday, October 5
Day 0 Program Agenda
GAA Stakeholder Update
The Global Aquaculture Alliance staff will provide an update on the nonprofit organization’s pre-competitive advocacy and education activities, the industry-leading Best Aquaculture Practices third-party certification program and newer initiatives such as Global Seafood Assurances and the Center for Responsible Seafood. Open to all.
Session chair: Devan Meserve, Director of Marketing, Global Aquaculture Alliance
- Speaker: Wally Stevens Global Aquaculture Alliance
- Speaker: Devan Meserve Global Aquaculture Alliance
- Speaker: Molly Jacques Best Aquaculture Practices
- Speaker: Elise Avallon Best Aquaculture Practices
Tuesday, October 6
Day 1 Program Agenda
Opening Session
GAA’s GOAL 2020 conference will officially kick off with words of inspiration as well as a keynote address on the need for transformative change in farming systems while balancing the health of humans and the planet. Open to all.
Session chair: Wally Stevens, CEO, Global Aquaculture Alliance
- Speaker: Steven Hedlund Global Aquaculture Alliance
- Speaker: Wally Stevens Global Aquaculture Alliance
- Speaker: Peer Ederer Global Food & Agribusiness Network
Data Dive: GAA’s Annual Aquaculture Production Forecast for Shrimp and Finfish
For the 14th consecutive year, the aquaculture production forecast for shrimp and finfish will be presented and analyzed. The forecast is based on GAA’s exclusive aquaculture production survey, and for the first time this year GAA is partnering with Rabobank to deliver the forecast. Open to all.
Session chair: George Chamberlain, President, Global Aquaculture Alliance
- Speaker: Gorjan Nikolik Rabobank
- Speaker: George Chamberlain Global Aquaculture Alliance
Animal & Human Health
Introduced at GOAL 2019 in Chennai, India, “Farmers’ Day” returns to GOAL 2020. Leading pathologists, veterinarians, farm managers and technicians, and conservation biologists will address the latest challenges and opportunities in animal health management, including pathogen and disease control, antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance, animal nutrition and diet, biosecurity, new diagnostic technologies (including PCR, CRISPR and protein receptor) and animal welfare. The impact of COVID-19 on seafood production workers will also be discussed. Time to be determined. Open to all.
Session chair: George Chamberlain, President, Global Aquaculture Alliance
Wednesday, October 7
Day 2 Program Agenda
Sustainability and Collaboration
Big names are setting big targets aimed at pushing a company’s, and the industry’s, boundaries on sustainability as it relates to novel feed ingredients, energy efficiency and the reduction of carbon emissions, and worker voice and social equity. Heads of sustainability at leading players in the seafood production, feed, retail and foodservice will delineate the importance of collaboration as well as the business case for sustainability to be at the heart of corporate strategy. Time to be determined. Open to GAA members only.
Session chairs: Iain Shone, Director of Market Development-Europe, Global Aquaculture Alliance; Mike Berthet, Best Aquaculture Practices Market Development-UK
Seafood Trading, Marketing and Consumption in a COVID-19 World
What are the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafood trading, marketing and consumption? Leading players in the seafood production, supply, retail and foodservice sectors as well as researchers and data analysts will break down the impacts of COVID-19 on food security, sanitation and working conditions at the processing level, air freight, out-of-home vs. in-home consumption, the rise of e-commerce, and consumer perceptions of seafood. Time to be determined. Open to GAA members only.
Session chairs: Chris Trosin, Senior VP of Market Development, Global Aquaculture Alliance; Steve Hart, VP of Market Development-Asia, Global Aquaculture Alliance
Thursday, October 8
Day 3 Program Agenda
The Intersection of Wild Fisheries and Aquaculture
Seafood is at a crossroads. It is the perfect protein in a perfect world — its superior nutritional and sustainability profile has been highlighted in the growing field of food systems research. Seafood is also becoming more consumer-friendly — innovation around pre-cooked meals and ease of preparation and changing consumer preferences are removing traditional barriers to customers. While research and trends point to a bright future for seafood, real-world challenges, including forced labor and illegal fishing, make it difficult for seafood to truly differentiate itself in the broader protein market. Seafood has the most to gain from improved sustainable management in its industry and the most to lose from failing to act. Despite the big challenges in front of seafood, the future is in fact bright. The industry is exerting an unprecedented amount of leadership to address sustainability through collaborative and coordinated efforts that benefit the entire seafood industry and make seafood more competitive in the global protein market. Time to be determined. Open to GAA members only.
Session chair: Ned Daly, Sustainability Strategist, Diversified Communications
Innovation and Technology
Who’s at the leading edge of aquaculture innovation and technology? Authorities in key aquaculture fields — including animal health management, genetics and breeding, energy efficiency and the reduction of carbon emissions, processing and automation, and new grow-out technologies (including recirculating aquaculture systems and offshore aquaculture systems) — will provide a sector-by-sector synopsis of the latest and greatest in innovation and technology. The finalists of the eight annual Global Aquaculture Innovation Award will also present. Time to be determined. Open to GAA members only.
Session chair: James Wright, Editorial Manager, Global Aquaculture Alliance
GOAL 2019 Recap
Global Aquaculture Innovation Award
For the second consecutive year, the winner of the seventh annual Global Aquaculture Innovation Award was selected by the GOAL audience. The three finalists were Mike Forbes of Ace Aquatec, Emily Glenn of Arbiom and Adriano Mallmann of Pegasus Science. With just over half of the audience vote, Forbes was chosen as the winner for his Scottish company’s in-water electric stunning device designed to slaughter fish more humanely. In 2012, GAA established the competition to recognize individuals and companies finding new solutions to the key challenges facing aquaculture. In 2019, a record 43 applications from 20 countries were submitted. Sponsored by Preferred Freezer Services. The three finalists of this year’s eight annual Global Aquaculture Innovation Award will be announced in the Global Aquaculture Advocate in September.
Student Culinary Competition
In 2017, GAA established the Student Culinary Competition to provide student chefs with a life-changing experience while partnering with local culinary institutions to raise awareness of responsible aquaculture. In 2019, the three finalists were Kewal G. Chauhan, Siddhant Jaiswal and Manisha Yogesh, selected from a record 500 applicants from seven cities across India. Manisha Yogesh (pictured at left) was chosen as the winner for her entrée, Tilapia Poêlé with Crevette Arancini, Tossed Summer Vegetables, Cauliflower Saffron Puree and Wasabi De Spuma. Sponsored by Charoen Pokphand Foods. The next competition will be held at GOAL 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Lifetime Achievement Award
GAA recognizes individuals who have made an enduring advancement in the field of aquaculture, admired for their integrity, leadership and commitment to responsible aquaculture. In 2019, GAA honored John Galiher, founder and CEO of cold-storage provider Preferred Freezer Services, and Brahmanandam Potru, founder and CEO of Indian shrimp producer Devi Seafoods (pictured at left with GAA’s Bill Herzig). Past recipients include I. Chiu Liao, Chingchai Lohawatanakul, Nguyen Dzung, Li Sifa, Ken Morrison, George Williams, Peder Jacobson, Bjorn Myrseth, Don Lightner, Bill Herzig and Wally Stevens. In 2018, the award was renamed the Wallace R. Stevens Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of GAA CEO Wally Stevens.
Access the Marketplace
The world’s leading retail and foodservice seafood buyers are always well represented at GOAL. Buyers play a key role in influencing aquaculture production practices through their corporate social responsibility policies and associated sourcing specifications. Among the companies represented on stage and in the audience at GOAL 2019 were Ahold Delhaize, Bon Appétit Management Company, Brakes Group, Direct Seafoods, Gordon Food Service, Harvest Food Distributors, Hello Fresh, Hema Fresh/Alibaba, Publix, Red Lobster, Sam’s Club, Sysco, US Foods, Walmart and The Walt Disney Company.
Live Streaming
For the first time in 2019, the GOAL program was broadcast live beyond the conference venue in Chennai, India. Dubbed “Farmers’ Day,” the event drew dozens of participants in four shrimp-farming and -processing hubs throughout India (Balasore, Puducherry, Surat and Vijayawada) as well as six Southeast Asia cities. Using the conference’s mobile application, participants were able to take part in live Q&A and polling. Sponsored by Avanti Feeds Ltd. This year, the entire GOAL conference will be held virtually.
Become a Sponsor
Leverage your relationship with GAA and bolster your visibility throughout the aquaculture community by sponsoring GOAL 2020. Your sponsorship comes with array of benefits and allows us to share the live stream with members of GAA’s strategic partners at no cost. We can all agree that a more informed, better educated aquaculture community benefits us all.
Platinum Sponsors
GOAL 2021, Tokyo, Japan
GAA’s GOAL 2021 conference will be held at The Okura Tokyo from Oct. 25 to 28, 2021. Both a live event and a virtual event will be held simultaneously. Registration will open in the spring. Join us!
Past GOAL Presentations
Click on the GOAL logo to access presentations from that year. Presentations from GOAL 2019 are currently available to GAA members only in the GAA member toolkit. Log in to your GAA member account to access those presentations.
GOAL 2019 Presentations
Access PDFs of all GOAL 2019 presentations in the GAA member toolkit (GAA members only) or in the GOAL 2019 mobile application.
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