Why I'm All In on Fish, Food, and Feeding the Future

An introduction into my head that hopefully provides a basic insight into my journey of figuring out how to feed the world...

May 15, 2025

What’s good? I’m Christian Claassen, a PhD student working in aquaculture at the University of Stirling in Scotland — and no, that doesn’t just mean I study fish.

It means I spend my days thinking about how we feed the world and what that means for the planet, people, and the systems connecting us all. It’s about biology, yes, but also business models, climate change, equity, and the very real question: What should the future of food actually look like?

This substack is my space to think out loud. To share ideas. To unpack the messy, fascinating world of sustainable food, especially from the perspective of someone still knee-deep in learning, and deeply committed to making a difference.

How One Stat Rewrote My Story (And Why I’m Still Grafting)

I showed up on Mud Island (UK) from South Africa in September of 2020, mid-COVID, to chase rugby and study agriculture. I spent a good few years enjoying working more than studying when I found a stat that completely flipped my path: Africa’s aquaculture output is just 2.6 million tonnes a year, less than 3 % of the global total, despite its booming population and crazy potential. As a South African studying agriculture, that hit deep — it wasn’t just a number, it was an actual option for me to change lives. Fish farming could transform food security, especially in Africa, but it’s barely tapped.

That stat pushed me to pivot hard. I moved to Scotland and jumped into an aquaculture MSc at Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture, the mecca for fish nerds. Now I’m deep in my PhD here, obsessed with rethinking how we feed people — water, land, protein, fairness, all of it. But real talk: I’m a PhD student, buried in work, data, and maybe the occasional demonstration. My bank account’s running on fumes. Time? Eaten by research and deadlines. I’m dying to act on that stat — scale up fish farms in Africa, test new feeds — but I’m stuck in this broke, busy grind. Still, the mix of science, sustainability, and entrepreneurial hustle keeps me ticking over. It’s my WILL to feed the world, might as well start building the foundation now.

“The purpose of life is finding the largest burden that you can bear and bearing it”

- Jordan B. Peterson

What You’ll Get Here

This isn’t just for lab geeks or seafood pros. It’s for anyone who cares about food, the planet, or where innovation is taking us.

Each week, expect:

Nuggets from my PhD journey (the stuff that sparks big ideas)
Stories from fish farms and the folks making it happen
Takes on the business side — startups, investors, trends, and scaling up
Sometimes, just me, overthinking my mission to feed the world

Expect big ideas, simple breakdowns, and some “yo, that could actually work” moments. I’m here to make tough stuff easy and get you stoked about what’s possible.

Why am I writing this nonsense now, and what do I hope it will do?

The world’s spinning fast, and our food systems are kinda wobbling.
The best convos shouldn’t be locked in lecture halls, a crappy old journal or a bunch of boring papers.
If we want better food for EVERYONE, we need stories that excite people.

“You’ll never know who might find value in your words and how much your opinion matters”

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Why do I give a s**t?

Look, I’m not out here yelling from rooftops. I’m a low-key guy, but that stat about Africa’s aquaculture lit something in me. It’s not just about fish for me — it’s about people going hungry, about systems that fail them, about a continent I’m from that’s got so much potential but isn’t there yet. I give a shit because I want to achieve the unachievabe. I see a world where everyone can feed everyone, no exceptions, and aquaculture is my golden ticket. I’m broke, I’m slammed, and I can’t do much now, but every experiment, every late-night paper, every word I write here is me clawing toward that future. If I can dream it, I can believe it and strive to achieve it.

I’m not just studying fish; I’m fighting for a shot at a better world, one plate at a time.