The Man Behind CP Florida 

Robins McIntosh may not be a household name, but in the world of aquaculture, he’s a visionary. As Executive Vice President of Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), he has redefined how shrimp are bred, raised, and farmed; impacting billions of dollars in global seafood trade.

Image credit to TCRS

Trained in biology and genetics, McIntosh began his career in algae–fuel research in the Americas. In 2001, he joined Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) as Executive Vice President of Shrimp, at a time when viral outbreaks—particularly White Spot Syndrome and Taura Syndrome—were inflicting up to 80% losses on farms across Asia【1】. Tasked with transforming CPF’s shrimp division, he modernized hatcheries, launched genetic programs, and elevated farm biosecurity to unprecedented levels.

Leading Global Shrimp Genetics and Broodstock

• SPF Shrimp: Scaling a Global Standard Specific Pathogen-Free (SPF) shrimp were first developed in the early 1990s. Under McIntosh, CPF became one of the first agribusinesses to scale SPF production, ensuring broodstock free from WSSV and TSV and dramatically improving farm survival rates and economic stability across Latin America and Asia【2】.
• Advanced Breeding Programs Introducing genomic selection tools, McIntosh spearheaded breeding pipelines that balanced growth rate, yield, and disease tolerance. CPF’s flagship strains—Turbo and Kong —emerged from these efforts, becoming industry standards in hatcheries worldwide【3】.

McIntosh oversees the CPF PL quality

Redesigning Fundamentals Farming Systems

• Biofloc & Zero-Exchange Models To reduce environmental impact, McIntosh introduced biofloc technology. By converting waste into microbial protein, farms cut water exchange by over 90% and improved shrimp health at commercial scale【4】.
• RAS: The Future of BiosecureAnticipating emerging disease threats, he drove CPF’s investment in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). These self-contained farms—exemplified by the Homegrown Shrimp USA facility in Florida—maintain optimal water quality, minimize contamination risk, and enable year-round production in diverse climates【4】【6】.
  

Battling Disease

Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS/AHPND) and Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) posed fresh crises. McIntosh led CPF’s multi-year research into broodstock screening, improved hatchery sanitation, and farm-level biosecurity protocols. Preliminary reports indicate pilot operations saw EHP incidence drop by around 60%, though exact figures vary by farm and region【5】. In fact, CPF has been developed shrimp genetics which tolerance to White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), Taura Syndrome Virus (TSV), and Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS/AHPND) .

Did you know? While protocols can dramatically reduce disease incidence, 100% pathogen elimination remains an aspirational goal rather than an absolute guarantee.

Scaling Sustainable Production at CPF

Over two decades, McIntosh oversaw CPF’s expansion into one of the world’s most vertically integrated shrimp enterprises—spanning feed mills, hatcheries, farms, and processing plants across Asia and the Americas. CPF now ranks as the top shrimp-feed producer globally and one of the leading exporters of farmed shrimp, thanks in large part to the open-source sharing of best practices he championed【1】.

Reinventing U.S. Shrimp: CP Florida Broodstock

In 2020, McIntosh launched Homegrown Shrimp USA—a climate-controlled, antibiotic-free RAS farm in Indiantown, Florida—aiming to introduce locally raised shrimp to premium U.S. markets. By early 2025, the operation strategically rebranded as CP Florida, pivoting from grow-out to specialize in high-health, USDA-certified SPF broodstock. Today, CP Florida broodstock are multiplied in a fully enclosed recirculating system at the Indiantown facility, guaranteed disease-free by the USDA, and exported efficiently from Florida’s proximity to Miami, Tampa, and Orlando to key shrimp-farming regions worldwide【cpfloridausa.com】.

Homegrown Shrimp LLC – Florida Facility- The Home of CP Florida

Legacy & Ongoing Influence

In 2023, McIntosh received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Shrimp Summit, honoring over 20 years of leadership in sustainable shrimp production【7】. He continues to steer CPF’s aquaculture strategy, ensuring the group remains a global market leader. Additionally, McIntosh is a highly sought-after speaker at industry conferences, where he mentors emerging innovators and champions evidence-based, science-driven aquaculture practices.

McIntosh Receiving Lifetime Achievement Award 2023

References

1. Leadership at CPF & Industry Impact — shrimp-forum.com
2. Origins & Scaling of SPF Shrimp — industry literature on SPF development
3. HYV & Vannamei 365 Breeding Programs — CPF technical briefings
4. Biofloc & RAS Adoption — Global Seafood Alliance reports
5. EHP & EMS Management Protocols — industry case studies
6. Homegrown Shrimp USA Launch & Pivots — Global Seafood Alliance
7. Shrimp Summit 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award — cpfworldwide.com