In Thailand and around the globe, there is a palpable sense of alarm that consumer demand for seafood is outpacing aquatic species' ability to replenish themselves.
Worldwide per capita fish consumption has accelerated faster than all other animal proteins, but is projected to slow down by 2030 because demand will surpass supply in many key markets. If fish populations continue to decline, research shows that over 800 million people are at risk of malnutrition.
To address these risks and fulfill rising consumer demand for secure and sustainable protein, many of Asia's leading food companies, from Thai Union to Mitsubishi Corporation, have started to embrace the nascent field of "alternative seafood." It's a booming category that includes everything from plant-based fish nuggets to shrimp meat cultivated directly from animal cells.
The challenge? New data shows that consumers aren't fully on board yet.
The Good Food Institute Asia Pacific (GFI APAC) recently commissioned a first-of-its-kind study into consumer perceptions of alternative seafood in Asia. In public opinion surveys, Thai consumers expressed more open-mindedness about the idea of alternative seafood than their counterparts in Singapore, Korea, or Japan, but diners still believe that the sector must offer tangible advantages that go beyond the fish, squid, and shrimp they're used to.
"Thai consumers are eager to try new things and alternative seafood is a logical fit for the local market," says GFI APAC Science and Technology Specialist Wasamon Nutakul. But, she said, market success "requires a product that looks and tastes as good as conventional seafood -- or better."
One of the biggest challenges that the survey participants said alternative seafood products will need to overcome is their perceived lack of "freshness" and "naturalness," which consumers believe are essential attributes of every great seafood experience.
Historically, many Thai consumers have opted to purchase fish at a wet market rather than supermarket, so that they can seek out the "freshest" fish by looking at various characteristics (eye colour, smell, etc).
The reason such rituals are meaningful to many consumers is that they provide a reassurance of food safety. People take comfort in eating food that they helped pick out, because they're confident the source is reliable and trustworthy.
To be commercially successful, GFI APAC's study shows that alternative seafood must also find a way to evoke these same important feelings. The swiftest path to market success almost always lies in meeting consumers where they're at, rather than expecting them to change their behaviour in fundamental ways.
In general, consumers also expect alternative proteins to cost the same as conventional protein -- or less. In other words, consumers will give alternative seafood a closer look, but they will only be open to repeat consumption if the product delivers everything they already get from conventional seafood -- and more.
All of this sets up a very high bar for alternative seafood producers to meet, but one that must be overcome if we want to sustainably feed the roughly 10 billion people who will inhabit our planet by 2050 -- most of whom will live in Asia.
Alternative seafood producers seem to understand the high stakes and have indicated their keen interest in learning more about what consumers are craving. In Thailand, survey participants indicated they would be most excited to try a plant-based or cultivated version of prawns and shrimp -- perhaps fantasising about the appealing prospect of tom yum soup without the risks of microplastics or mercury contamination.
As the old adage goes, "the customer is always right," and Thai customers are telling the food industry that if they're going to be sold alternative seafoods made from plants or cultivated from animal cells, they still want those products to be fresh, affordable, healthy, and delicious.
These are not unreasonable requests and in providing such direct feedback about their culinary preferences and concerns, Thai consumers are, in essence, creating a roadmap to navigating the future of seafood.
Ryan Huling is the senior communications manager at the Good Food Institute APAC -- Asia's leading alternative protein think tank. He previously served as an international expert on sustainable food systems at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).