In an era marked by geopolitical instability, climate shocks, and disrupted trade routes, the global feed industry especially aquafeed faces structural transformations. Gianluigi Negroni’s eight main chapters explores how these external pressures are reshaping protein supply chains, ingredient sourcing, and feed formulation strategies in 2025 and beyond. The narrative begins by identifying how trade fragmentation, conflicts, and rising shipping costs have endangered access to key feed ingredients such as fishmeal, soybean meal, and cereals. These disruptions have especially impacted producers in import-reliant regions like Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Amid this volatility, the need for feed reformulation and localized production has intensified. Additional details of available ingredients for the local Ugandan aquaculture feed production are highlighted in this paper, they were collected during PESCA project (2021-2024).
The paper highlights the growing risk of fraud and adulteration in protein ingredients due to weak regulatory enforcement and strained supply chains. It advocates for more stringent traceability, digital compliance systems, and blockchain-based sourcing to ensure transparency and restore consumer trust. Resilience, the author argues, is not just a response to risk, but a strategic advantage. Emerging models of smart decentralization are discussed, with a focus on developing regional feed hubs that use local agro-industrial by-products, insect protein, wild Victoria Lake available ingredients (micro shrimp, water hyacinth and lake fly) and algae. Circular economy principles and technological innovation (e.g., AI-driven quality control, remote auditing, fermentation technologies) are framed as key enablers of sustainability and security. The articles examine global vulnerabilities like the strategic dependency on maritime chokepoints such as the Suez and Panama Canals which, if disrupted, can send feed prices skyrocketing. This situation affected Uganda for some times during COVID 19 period. This further supports the urgency to diversify sourcing and invest in alternative protein production closer to consumption zones. The paper highlights the importance of non-conventional, locally sourced ingredients and circular feed models for protein security, particularly in emerging markets driven by global demand growth for meat and fish. The US and China, both major players, are influenced by these markets. Ultimately, Negroni and his Ugandan group of specialist and companies calls for coordinated action between industry, regulators, and researchers to build a resilient, ethical, and transparent global feed system capable of withstanding geopolitical and environmental upheavals.