Economic performance of organic aquaculture: A systematic review

The aim of this study was to analyse the economic aspects related to organic aquaculture through a systematic review of the scientific literature. Production from organic aquaculture has grown rapidly over the last few years, although it remains at low volumes worldwide. We followed the ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses’ procedures for literature selection, and performed a qualitative review of the selected studies. The review is based on three research questions: “What are the main factors that affect the socio-economic development of organic aquaculture?“; “Is there evidence for better economic performance of organic aquaculture with respect to conventional aquaculture?“; “Do consumers show tangible preference for organically farmed seafood?” The main results show that profitability in organic aquaculture is not guaranteed for all aquaculture species, and the feed and fixed costs can be an issue if they are not balanced by adequate price premiums. Lack of homogenisation of organic standards for aquaculture is considered to be the main issue. Socio-economic aspects of organic aquaculture are particularly relevant in developing countries, where this farming practice can contribute to an improved livelihood and can integrate effectively with local farming practices. Consumers show a generally positive attitude towards organic seafood, although other aspects such as local origin might represent more relevant attributes. Consumer knowledge of organic aquaculture standards is also limited.