World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has announced a new collaboration with SUPERVALU, one of the largest food retailers in the United States, to create a strategy for sustainably sourcing the store’s wild-caught seafood.
As part of the collaboration, WWF will help SUPERVALU assess the sources of the company’s top 20 wild-caught seafood species. The assessments will inform the development of a new sustainable seafood sourcing strategy that will drive the company’s seafood purchases. This includes evaluating Marine Stewardship Council certification for wild species.
“Major food retailers like SUPERVALU have an important role to play in changing the way seafood is harvested or grown, both to reduce its impact on the planet and to ensure the fish we rely on exist for generations to come,” said Bill Fox, vice president of WWF's fisheries program. "Conserving marine habitats and promoting sustainable fishing methods is important to people and wildlife alike.”
Following the completion of the assessments and strategy, WWF and SUPERVALU intend to engage the company’s source fisheries on improving environmental practices. SUPERVALU also will work toward sourcing more sustainable farmed seafood by participating in the Aquaculture Dialogues, a WWF-led project that will result in global standards designed to minimise the environmental and social impacts associated with farmed seafood.
