José Antonio Camposano (CNA), Alex Olsen (Corporación LANEC), and Sandro Coglitore (Omarsa), during the first edition of Race to the Top, in 2024.
Photo: Sustainable Shrimp Partnership.
The second edition of Race to the Top, the sustainability forum organized by the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) and Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA), will be held on October 21, once again as part of the AquaExpo International in Guayaquil. Although the scene remains the same, the 2025 edition will take a new approach, bringing shrimp and salmon together.
Under the motto 'Transform, Inspire, Lead', Race to the Top 2025 will elevate the conversation on sustainable aquaculture by bringing together the two most influential aquaculture proteins on the same stage. This opens the door to cross-sector learning, drawing on successful experiences from other industries to advance together toward more responsible food production systems.
Hosted, as said, in Ecuador—the world's top exporter of farmed shrimp—and more specifically in Guayaquil, the port city which is one of the main centers of the shrimp farming industry in the country, the event will bring together more than 30 global leaders, industry leaders, and international executives to promote sustainability, innovation, and climate resilience in aquaculture, while inspiring other industries to adopt these efforts.
"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," said José Antonio Camposano, Executive President of the CNA.
According to the joint release from the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership and Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture, confirmed speakers in Race to the Top 2025 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," stated SSP Director Pamela Nath. "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," she added.
As mentioned above, Race to the Top 2025 will take place within the framework of AquaExpo, a technical-commercial event organized by Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture. This event has been held since 1995 in several provinces of the country dedicated to shrimp production, to promote knowledge exchange and drive innovation.
In its previous edition, the SSP and CNA sustainability forum brought together more than 350 participants and 35 national and international speakers, including representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), IDH, and leading companies from the global aquaculture sector.
This year's program, supported by sponsors such as Cargill, Huawei, LarvIA, and Vitapro, among others, includes 13 confirmed sessions. There will be expert panels, presentations, and case studies, all organized around four central issues: governance, environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and economic sustainability.
