New insights on living wages in aquaculture sector
Between 2022 and 2025, ASC (aquaculture stewardship council) tested with the support of IDH how living wage gaps can be measured and verified at farm level using the IDH Salary Matrix, aligned with the Anker methodology. The pilot involved farms in Ecuador, Vietnam, and India, and was later expanded through additional training, mock audits and capacity-building activities across multiple countries.
From Concept to Implementation
The findings confirm that measuring living wage gaps in aquaculture is both feasible and essential, providing farms and the broader value chain with greater transparency on wage conditions and a starting point for improvement. At the same time, the project highlights that implementation is complex and depends on the availability of accurate wage data, practical guidance and targeted capacity building.
These insights have directly informed the integration of living wage requirements into the ASC Farm Standard, which was published in May 2025 and will become mandatory for all ASC-certified farms from mid-2027.
In short, farms will be required to measure and report on living wage gaps and develop plans to improve wages over time.
Building Capacity Across the Value Chain
A key focus of the project was building capacity among farms, auditors, and trainers. ASC developed aquaculture-specific training materials, delivered webinars and workshops, and conducted mock audits to test implementation of the proposed requirements in real-world conditions.
The project also identified challenges, which vary by context. These include:
- insufficient wage data;
- limited familiarity with living wage concepts;
- the need for clearer guidance and processes for both farms and auditors.
Shared Responsibility is Key
A central insight from the pilot is that farms cannot close wage gaps alone. Producers often face tight margins and strong market competition, limiting their ability to increase wages without support.
This underscores the importance of a shared responsibility approach, where retailers, importers and other supply chain actors contribute to enabling fair wages.
Read the full report: here.