A canola Cargill designed for fish cultivation has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Cargill’s Latitude is a plant-based aquafeed alternative that relieves harvesting pressure on wild fish populations, while meeting the market need for a reliable supply of long-chain omega-3s at a predictable price, according to the company.

 “This approval means we are on target to deliver Latitude to aquaculture farmers and feed manufacturers. It represents another key step in creating a global supply chain that can meet a critical environmental challenge,” says Mark Christiansen, managing director for Cargill’s specialty oils business.

Cargill has been testing omega-3 canola varieties under permit in multiple locations in Montana since 2015, and with USDA deregulation, Cargill plans to advance the commercialization of its long-chain omega-3 canola trait in a tightly managed closed loop supply chain. The USDA deregulation is an important step in the regulatory approval strategy for Cargill’s new omega-3 canola.