The Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games has announced an agreement to promote Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified seafood at the 2016 Rio Games.
This means that all of the seafood served to the athletes, officials, press and at the onsite restaurants will be certified as sustainably wild caught (MSC) and responsibly farmed (ASC). With over 14 million meals served over 27 days, the Olympic and Paralympic Games’ catering represents a huge challenge for every host city.
Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) between Rio 2016 and the ASC and Rio 2016 and the MSC were signed on 3 December. The MOUs reflect the Rio 2016 Organising Committee’s commitment to organise and stage the Games in such a way as to minimise adverse effects on and maximise benefits to the environment, promote sustainable development, and raise public awareness and action regarding environmental protection.
“Rio 2016 aims to use the transformational power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to enhance, promote and celebrate the fantastic variety of Brazilian seafood,” said Leila Luiz, Head of Food & Beverage for Rio 2016.
Chris Ninnes, chief executive of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, said: “I look forward to seeing many small scale farms across the state of Rio recognised for their good management. The collective action of the farms that enter the ASC programme will undoubtedly have a positive effect for the future of aquaculture in the region as it moves towards environmental sustainability – this is an important legacy and I hope other states follow the example of Rio.”
