Merck Animal Health Joins Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) to Support Sustainable Salmon Farming
MADISON, NJ, January 17, 2017 – Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the US and Canada) is proud to announce its membership in the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI), a leadership initiative by global farmed salmon producers that is focused on accelerating sustainability for salmon farming.
“The global salmon business has a very bright future with strong demand and healthy growth,” said Dr. Chris Beattie, Head of Global Aquaculture, Merck Animal Health. “We align very closely with GSI’s vision of providing a highly sustainable source of healthy protein to feed a growing global population, while minimizing its environmental footprint. With fish health and welfare central to the future success of salmon farming, we see a natural fit between Merck Animal Health and GSI.”
By 2050, it is estimated that the world’s population will increase by 34 percent to 9.1 billion people – doubling the demand for global food production, including fish protein.iThe Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations also estimates that about one billion people worldwide rely on fish as their primary source of animal protein.ii A healthy source of protein and essential fatty acids, farmed salmon is vital to balancing the needs of feeding the growing global population, and meeting the demand for healthy and sustainable protein production.
Merck Animal Health is committed to supporting global farmed salmon producers through a wide range of products and services for the environmentally and economically sustainable control of major aquaculture diseases around the world.
About GSI
The Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) is a leadership initiative established in 2013 by global farmed salmon producers focused on making significant progress on industry sustainability. Today, GSI comprises 12 companies, representing approximately 50% of the global salmon production industry, that are fully committed to realizing a shared goal of providing a highly sustainable source of healthy food to feed a growing global population, whilst minimizing our environmental footprint and continuing to improve our social contribution.
About Merck Animal Health
Merck is a global health care leader working to help the world be well. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter at @MerckAH.
Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).
iFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO). How to Feed the World in 2050. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/docs/expert_paper/How_to_Feed_the_World_in_2050.pdf.
iiFAO (2000) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2000. FAO, Rome, Italy.