"Now consumers and the wider society can have even more trust in farmed cod being a high-quality sustainable product produced in a responsible manner," said Ode's CEO, Ola Kvalheim.
Photo: Ode.
Just a week ago, when we learned that Ode had achieved a global breakthrough by demonstrating that cod farming can be profitable, we said it was used to setting milestones. Today, the Norwegian cod farmer has done it again, as it has become the world's first producer of ASC-certified farmed cod.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) formally opened certification—which Ode emphasizes is "the most rigorous and widely recognized sustainability, quality and responsibility standard in aquaculture"—for Atlantic cod in October 2025, incorporating the species into the revised version of the ASC Salmon and Cod Standard v1.5, and allowing cod producers to apply for certification for the first time.
Now, Norway's leading cod producer—and Norway's largest supplier of cod in 2025—has not only obtained its first ASC certification, but has become the first company to complete a comprehensive audit and obtain a certificate in accordance with the new standard established last year, in whose development it has worked closely with ASC for several years.
"This is an important milestone for Ode, our customers and the wider cod industry," said Ola Kvalheim, CEO of Ode. "ASC ensures that companies operate according to sustainable principles, prioritize animal welfare, and act in a socially responsible manner. This certification is a strong validation of Ode, the way we operate, and the products we provide our customers."
"Now consumers and the wider society can have even more trust in farmed cod being a high-quality sustainable product produced in a responsible manner," Kvalheim added, commenting on the company's latest achievement.
As Ode noted, the ASC standard sets tough requirements across the entire operation, for both sea-based and land-based production.
These requirements assess everything from environmental issues, such as the impact on the seabed and water quality around the farms, or containment and escape prevention measures; to production issues, such as the traceability of feed ingredients, fish health and fish welfare; or social issues, such as working conditions and health and safety, and transparency towards local communities and authorities.
This means that the audit covered both the environmental and social principles of the standard, and included interviews with employees at the facility and a review of the documentation corresponding to the entire production cycle.
"The team at Ode has been working on this for a long time, especially our operations and quality departments, who have developed the systems that enable us to document sustainable operations down to the smallest detail. A certification like this is something you must earn through documented sustainable and responsible operations," said Tor Olav Seim, Head of Strategy and Business Development at Ode.
Ode's Commercial Director, Anders Tofte Wilhelmsen, went even further, stating that this ASC certification now achieved by Ode has a value that goes beyond any specific commercial agreement.
"Farmed cod is a young, innovative and exciting industry, working in a professional, sustainable and responsible manner — and an independent certification body has now verified that. The fact that the product now comes with independent certification behind it strengthens the position of the entire category," Wilhelmsen stated.
Ode's Commercial Director thus returned to CEO Ola Kvalheim's idea of building something that goes beyond the company itself—he called it a culture of farmed cod—and whose objective has been to revolutionize the cod category with a global, growing and predictable business where retailers and foodservice can rely on consistent, high-quality fresh cod every day.
"Together with our partners, we build new demand every day through consistent quality, positive eating experiences and exciting product development. Satisfied customers, the right product mix and reliable supply growth will deliver long-term demand growth," Kvalheim explained last week.
Today, in its release announcing the achievement of ASC certification, Ode emphasized that this comes at a time of growing demand for seafood products whose sustainability and responsibility can be objectively demonstrated.
The Norwegian cod farming company also noted that, with wild fish populations under pressure, the United Nations indicates that significant growth in aquaculture will be necessary to meet ever-increasing demand.
Ode added that, as part of this major global trend—and as its CEO pointed out last week—it continues to grow and supply fresh cod year-round to a selection of customers in various international markets. However, as Anders Tofte Wilhelmsen noted, this ASC certification is more than just a business tool.
"For several of the large retail chains and customers, ASC is not nice to have, but rather a table-stakes requirement for being on the shelf. Now we finally have that validation, and it opens doors we have been knocking on for a long time," the Commercial Director at Ode concluded.
