Nuffield scholar hopes to replicate global aquaculture success in U.S. A view of one of Colombia's tilapia farms.
BY JEFF HUTTON PHOTOS BY EASTON KUBOUSHEK
F
rom the Land Down Under to South American ports, from the Middle East to our Canadian neighbors, Easton Kuboushek has trekked thousands of miles in the last several months. He has met farmers and agriculture leaders around the globe, gaining more insights into aquaculture, an area of particular interest to him and many soybean farmers. Kuboushek, the executive director of the Soy Aquaculture Alliance (SAA), is one of 10 Nuffield International Farmer Scholars for 2023. His scholarship has allowed him to travel on behalf of Iowa farmers and U.S. aquaculture where he is exploring the success stories, best practices and technology that have created huge growth in aquaculture production globally.
Changing the narrative Sponsored in part by the Iowa Soybean Association, the Nuffield Scholarship allows Kuboushek to study global aquaculture, covering 14 weeks of travel across five continents and more than a dozen countries. “It’s been profound seeing the differences in agriculture around the world,” says Kuboushek, who grew up milking cows on the family’s farm near Spillville. “What’s most surprising is the commonality: every farmer is facing challenges related to profitability, labor and sustainability. If you were to compare a farmer in Iowa to a farmer in Australia, you’d find they share more in common than not.” The embrace of aquaculture in other parts of the world has been eye-opening, Kuboushek says. Farmers 24 | NOVEMBER 2023 | IASOYBEANS.COM
and advocates in other locales are serious about sustainable seafood farming with hopes of reducing poverty, reducing hunger, providing more economic opportunities, and helping others by recognizing aquaculture as a sustainable farm practice. Kuboushek hopes to incorporate those concepts into how SAA approaches its work and research, while also trying to sway more American farmers, businesses, investors and politicians toward this form of agriculture. He acknowledges the journey toward American acceptance of aquaculture continues to be long and treacherous. “It boils down to regulations,” he says. “The permitting and inconsistent regulatory structure is so expensive and challenging to navigate. It’s a barrier to new producers getting off the ground and for existing producers to grow.” Other countries, he’s learned, have far fewer regulations, and often provide incentives for farmers to get started. Because the United States has the “luxury” of having an ample food supply and enjoys the strongest economy in the world, Kuboushek says some are more focused on social and environmental issues, that, in some cases, are providing “false barriers to the growth” of aquaculture. “There are a lot of opportunities in offshore aquaculture, for example, but certain groups are putting up those barriers because they don’t want to
