From Challenge to Change. How the River Summit Transformed Abel & Cole's Salmon Sourcing
Sometimes the most powerful conversations happen when we create space for uncomfortable questions. At the 2024 UK River Summit, Abel & Cole found themselves facing exactly that kind of moment.
During a panel discussion, the audience challenged the company directly: why did they continue to sell salmon raised on environmentally damaging open-net farms? It wasn't an attack—it was a genuine question from people who cared about both sustainable food and healthy rivers.
“While on a panel at the UK River Summit in 2024, our business was challenged by the audience on why we continued to sell salmon raised on open-net farms. Fast forward a year, and I get the pleasure of standing up at the 2025 River Summit, to offer a heartfelt thanks to the audience and announce that, because of that initial challenge, we had removed open-net farmed salmon from our range. ”
Real Change, Not Just Promises
What happened next proves why the River Summit's collaborative approach works. Instead of getting defensive or dismissive, Abel & Cole listened. They went away and did the hard work—months of research, farm visits, and finding genuine alternatives.
The result? A complete transformation of their salmon sourcing:
Land-based farming only - All salmon now comes from 100% renewably-powered, land-based farms in Iceland and Norway
Dramatic welfare improvement - Mortality rates reduced from nearly 50% in some open-net farms to just 1-3% in land-based systems
Environmental protection - No escapees threatening wild salmon populations, no sea lice contamination, no chemical pollution
Customer education - Taking thousands of customers on the journey to more sustainable options
“This journey, taking thousands of customers with us to explore more sustainable options, encapsulates what makes the River Summit such a unique event – it’s a place to challenge, connect, and change. It’s rare to find an event that offers all three of those.”
This story demonstrates something profound about how environmental progress actually happens. It's not always through boycotts or blame—it's through creating spaces where honest questions can be asked and heard.
The River Summit didn't shame Abel & Cole into change. It provided a platform where:
Businesses could be challenged constructively
Audiences could ask difficult questions respectfully
Real dialogue could lead to real solutions
The Ripple Effect
Abel & Cole's transformation goes far beyond their own operations. By sharing their journey publicly, they're:
Educating thousands of customers about sustainable seafood
Demonstrating that businesses can change course when presented with evidence
Setting a new standard that competitors will feel pressure to match
Proving that collaboration drives innovation
This is exactly why we created the River Summit—not to attack businesses, but to create the conditions where they can evolve. When companies feel safe to admit challenges and explore solutions, everyone wins: the environment, consumers, and ultimately their bottom line.
What's Next?
The 2025 River Summit promises more of these breakthrough moments. We're bring together the usual suspects—ministers, water company CEOs, environmental groups, scientists—but also food companies, retailers, farmers, and consumers who all have a stake in healthy rivers and sustainable food systems.
Because as Abel & Cole proved, the best environmental solutions emerge when we challenge each other with respect, connect across traditional boundaries, and create space for real change to happen.
The future of our rivers will be shaped not by any one of us alone, but by all of us working together—including businesses brave enough to listen, learn, and lead.
