For the fourth time since 2008, Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ:WFM) earned
the top spot in Greenpeace’s annual seafood sustainability ranking of
U.S. supermarkets, claiming both the highest overall score and the
strongest sustainable seafood policy. Whole Foods Market has been ranked
first for the last two years in a row.
Whole Foods Market earned the top spot in part due to the company's work developing two exclusive MSC-Certified tuna lines. Pole & Line tuna features the premium white meat tuna and the remaining meat is used for Deck Hand Premium Cat Food, the first and only MSC-certified cat food, that ensures none of the meat from the sustainably caught fish goes to waste. (Photo: Business Wire)
Greenpeace’s 2014 Carting
Away the Ocean’s (CATO) VIII report ranks 26 major retailers in four
areas: policy, initiatives, labeling and transparency, and red-list
inventory. Whole Foods Market’s stringent purchasing policies for
wild-caught fish, partnerships with leading scientific organizations,
public advocacy, pioneering transparency and labeling, customer
education, fishmonger expertise and industry-leading aquaculture
standards all contributed to the company’s continued leadership in
seafood sustainability.
“Whole Foods Market’s mission towards a fully sustainable seafood
department is about providing the right choices for customers, making it
easier for them to find the highest quality, most sustainable seafood
anywhere,” said David Pilat, global seafood coordinator for Whole Foods
Market. “We’re proud to be recognized by Greenpeace for our seafood
industry leadership and will continue to honor the oceans through our
sourcing, so people worldwide can be nourished by seafood into the
future.”
Whole Foods Market excelled in the Sustainable Seafood Policy category
of the report, earning the highest score of any retailer. The company
purchases as much wild-caught seafood as possible from fisheries
certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). For fisheries not
MSC-certified, Whole Foods Market only sources from fisheries rated
either a “Best Choice” (green) or “Good Alternative” (yellow) by the
Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) and Blue Ocean Institute (BOI). In 2012,
Whole Foods Market stopped selling all species rated red by MBA and BOI,
becoming the first national grocer to make this stand.
Greenpeace also identified Whole Foods Market’s selection of canned tuna
as the best of any major U.S. retailer, an impactful category for
sustainability since America is the largest canned tuna market in the
world. Launched in May 2014, the retailer’s new Pole & Line Caught tuna
is the most sustainable canned tuna option on the market. The fish in
every can is caught one at a time using the pole and line method, which
eliminates bycatch of marine mammals, sharks, and turtles. These
vulnerable, and in some cases protected species, are caught in tuna
fisheries that use less selective fishing methods.
"Every can is fully traceable back to its source. Our Albacore tuna even
has the fisherman’s signature on each can so shoppers can see exactly
which boat their fish came from," said Dwight Richmond, global grocery
purchasing coordinator for Whole Foods Market. “Our Pole & Line Caught
brand also led to the introduction of the first and only MSC-certified
cat food, called Deck Hand. It’s made with the otherwise unused meat
from the same tuna fish as the Pole & Line Caught brand so no meat goes
to waste.”
Whole Foods Market’s aquaculture policies also earned praise from
Greenpeace. The retailer’s farmed seafood – recognized by the
Responsibly Farmed seal – is raised in compliance with the company’s
strict Quality
Standards and third-party verification process to ensure that farmed
fish comes from the world's leaders in environmentally-responsible
aquaculture.
Whole Foods Market excelled in Greenpeace’s labeling and transparency
category for having pioneering case signs with sustainability ratings
from MBA and BOI, as well as other point-of-purchase information like
posters, pamphlets and knowledgeable fishmongers, along with online
resources and transparent Quality Standards. The company also has
rigorous internal traceability initiatives like full traceability from
fishery to store, as well as dedicated port buyers selecting fish
directly from the docks, and company-owned seafood processing facilities
to create a clear, direct connection to seafood sources.
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