Finance and Investment Summit: M&A and Inorganic Growth in the Shrimp Industry

Aquaculture, and especially shrimp aquaculture, is a fragmented sector. However, this is changing. Companies across the value chain are acquiring peers, expanding internationally, and even entering other parts of the value chain. The motivation is to achieve scale, lower costs, capture market share, and position strategically. All market leaders in other agricultural sectors have engaged in periods of inorganic growth at some point in their history. However, inorganic growth and acquisitions are among the highest-risk activities companies will ever undertake. The young shrimp industry is at a moment in its evolution where inorganic growth is accelerating, and developments in the next few years will define the market leaders for decades to come. At the GSF Finance and Investment Summit, we will discuss this inorganic growth with key leaders in the sector at every point in the value chain, from genetics to feed to farming to processing. We will explore the opportunities, challenges, and personal experiences, as well as future goals and ambitions. Finally, we will examine how financial investors perceive the risks and opportunities of a buy-and-build strategy in the shrimp value chain.