RACE TO THE TOP WILL BRING TOGETHER OVER 30 GLOBAL LEADERS IN ECUADOR

Race to the Top will bring together over 30 global leaders in Ecuador as speakers to advance sustainable aquaculture.

• The two most influential aquaculture proteins —shrimp and salmon— together with leaders from other industries, will take centre

• stage at Race to the Top to advance sustainability, innovation, and climate resilience.

• The first edition of this forum brought together around 350 participants.

• This year, Race to the Top is supported by Cargill, Con3xión Consultores, Duragas, Huawei, LarvIA, and Vitapro.

On October 21, during AquaExpo Internacional in Guayaquil, the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) and the National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) will hold the second edition of the sustainability forum, Race to the Top. This high-level event will bring together more than 30 global leaders, industry leaders, and international executives to drive sustainability, innovation, and climate resilience in aquaculture, while inspiring other industries to adopt these efforts.

This year, the forum returns with a new approach. Under the theme “Transform, Inspire, Lead,” Race to the Top raises the conversation by bringing together two of the most influential aquaculture proteins —shrimp and salmon— on the same stage. It also opens the door to cross-sector learning, drawing on successful experiences from other industries to advance together toward more responsible food production systems.

Confirmed speakers include representatives from Google, former NASA executives, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI), and the Salmon Council of Chile, along with leading shrimp producers, and experts in banking, food innovation, and corporate sustainability, among others.

“At Race to the Top, we aim to show that it is possible to produce food ethically, competitively, and sustainably, without sacrificing principles or quality. We want to convey that sustainability is not just a technical requirement, but an attitude — a way of thinking, deciding, and leading. It requires long-term vision, discipline, and the courage to set the path. That is the spirit we are bringing back to Guayaquil,” said SSP Director Pamela Nath.

Adding to this, José Antonio Camposano, Executive President of the CNA, stated:

“Ecuador has already proven that it is possible to lead the shrimp industry with responsibility and excellence. Now the challenge is to do so sustainably in a highly competitive environment. For this, Race to the Top is our answer: a space to think collectively, act faster, and inspire changes that go beyond the sector.”

The program, which includes 13 confirmed sessions, will feature expert panels, presentations, and case studies organised around four central themes: governance, environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and economic sustainability. In its previous edition, the forum brought together more than 350 participants and 35 national and international speakers, including representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), IDH, and leading companies from the global aquaculture sector.

In this new edition, Race to the Top is supported by Cargill, Con3xión Consultores, Duragas, Huawei, LarvIA, and Vitapro — companies committed to innovation and responsible production.

ABOUT  SSP

The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) is a group of leading companies who are committed to transforming the future of shrimp aquaculture. Pioneered in Ecuador, members of the SSP are committed to achieving, and promoting, the highest quality products, produced to the highest social and environmental standards, through greater collaboration and transparency.

ABOUT CNA

The National Chamber of Aquaculture is a non-governmental organisation that has been uniting and representing the Ecuadorian shrimp sector for over 30 years. One of its objectives is to promote knowledge exchange and drive innovation through its AQUAEXPO programme, a technical-commercial event held since 1995 in several provinces of the country dedicated to shrimp production.

Main image: José Antonio Camposano (CNA),  Alex Olsen (Corporación LANEC)  y Sandro Coglitore (Omarsa,  during the first edition of Race to the Top, in 2024.