Norway’s Leading Producer Ode, First Company in the World to Achieve ASC Certification for Farmed Cod

• They worked closely with the Council over several years to develop the standard

• Days before, the company announced they made the operation profitable for the first time

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) opened for certification of Atlantic cod, in 2025, when cod was included in the revised ASC Salmon and Cod Standard v1.5. Now, the Norwegian company Ode become the first company to have completed a full audit and been awarded a certificate under the new standard. Ode, Norway’s leading cod producer, just obtained the most rigorous and widely recognized sustainability, quality and responsibility standard in aquaculture.

The importance of this achievement was highlighted by Ola Kvalheim, CEO of Ode, and not only for the wider cod industry but for the customers too. “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,” said Kvalheim.

He also pointed to the fact that Ode has worked closely with ASC over several years to develop the standard. “ASC ensures that companies operate according to sustainable principles, prioritize animal welfare, and act in a socially responsible manner”, he assured.

The ASC certification is the most rigorous and widely recognized sustainability, quality and responsibility standard in aquaculture. This makes Ode the first cod producer in the world certified against the standard of the ASC.

Tough Requirements Across the Entire Operation

The ASC standard sets tough requirements across the entire operation, for both sea-based and land-based production: impact on the seabed and on water quality around the farms, containment and escape prevention, traceability of feed ingredients, fish health and fish welfare, working conditions and health and safety, and transparency towards local communities and authorities.

The audit covered both the environmental and the social principles of the standard and included interviews with employees at the sites and a review of documentation from the full 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 for his part Tor Olav Seim, Head of Strategy and Business Development at Ode.

Global Mega Trend

According to the company, the certification comes at a time of growing demand for demonstrably sustainable and responsible seafood. Wild fish populations are under pressure, and the United Nations states that significant growth in aquaculture is needed to meet the ever-growing demand. “Being part of this global mega trend, Ode is growing and supplying fresh cod year-round to a selection of customers globally”, they said in a press release.

“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,” declared Anders Tofte Wilhelmsen, Commercial Director at Ode. For him, the certification carries a value that extends beyond any individual customer agreement.

And he finally added: “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”.

Grew Revenue

Days before the announcement, the company reported that they grew revenue by 118.7% from NOK 401 million in 2024 to NOK 877 million (USD 91m / EUR 80m). EBITDA came in at NOK 109 million (USD 11m / EUR 10m), a margin of 12.4%, while the net result after tax of NOK 66 million (USD 7m / EUR 6m) corresponds to a net margin of 7.5%. According to them, several companies have farmed cod since the early 2000s, but Ode‘s 2025 accounts are the first to prove the business can be profitable.

“Although expected as part of our business plan, this is a major milestone for Ode, and I thank our employees, customers and partners for their contribution. Five years of significant investment in our organization, value chain and product offering — coupled with strong biology and consistently high quality — delivered both record revenue growth and profitability in 2025,” said the CEO of Ode.