FMI Setting Seafood Sustainability Guidelines, Resources
The Food Marketing Institute said last week that it's developing guidelines, best practices, case studies and other resources to provide support for the supermarket industry in dealing with seafood sustainability issues.
"We seek to provide a wide variety of seafood to help consumers maintain a healthy diet, while also recognizing that sustaining the world's fisheries is critical to preserving the environment," explained FMI president and c.e.o. Leslie G. Sarasin.
Among the actions that the Arlington, Va.-based trade group is taking to promote seafood sustainability:
--Its Sustainability Task Force has formed a working group to uncover issues that can be resolved on an industrywide basis. The task force is collaborating with the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, which consists of environmental organizations, on guidelines to help companies create their own seafood sustainability programs.
--The FMI Sustainable Seafood Working Group is collecting case studies of retailer best practices, including initiatives certified by independent agencies and developed with nongovernmental organizations.
--The working group is also creating a list of experts, certification and auditing bodies, government agencies, NGOs, and other resources that retailers can consult.
Among the other FMI sustainability policies and programs are the FMI Carbon Footprint Project, which will feature guidelines and a carbon footprint calculator for food retailers and wholesalers; a policy on plastic bag waste and litter, which promotes comprehensive recycling programs, reusable shopping bags, and other measures to reduce shopping bag waste; the Sustainability Opportunity for Retail and Wholesale Executives, a customizable presentation that explains the concept and its importance to food retailers and wholesalers; and the Sustainability Starter Kit, which offers features practical tips, best practices, many examples of successful programs, and a list of publications, experts, Web sites, organizations, conferences and other sources of sustainability information and guidance.
Additional information, including research on consumer attitudes toward sustainability issues, is available at www.fmi.org/sustainability.
"We seek to provide a wide variety of seafood to help consumers maintain a healthy diet, while also recognizing that sustaining the world's fisheries is critical to preserving the environment," explained FMI president and c.e.o. Leslie G. Sarasin.
Among the actions that the Arlington, Va.-based trade group is taking to promote seafood sustainability:
--Its Sustainability Task Force has formed a working group to uncover issues that can be resolved on an industrywide basis. The task force is collaborating with the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, which consists of environmental organizations, on guidelines to help companies create their own seafood sustainability programs.
--The FMI Sustainable Seafood Working Group is collecting case studies of retailer best practices, including initiatives certified by independent agencies and developed with nongovernmental organizations.
--The working group is also creating a list of experts, certification and auditing bodies, government agencies, NGOs, and other resources that retailers can consult.
Among the other FMI sustainability policies and programs are the FMI Carbon Footprint Project, which will feature guidelines and a carbon footprint calculator for food retailers and wholesalers; a policy on plastic bag waste and litter, which promotes comprehensive recycling programs, reusable shopping bags, and other measures to reduce shopping bag waste; the Sustainability Opportunity for Retail and Wholesale Executives, a customizable presentation that explains the concept and its importance to food retailers and wholesalers; and the Sustainability Starter Kit, which offers features practical tips, best practices, many examples of successful programs, and a list of publications, experts, Web sites, organizations, conferences and other sources of sustainability information and guidance.
Additional information, including research on consumer attitudes toward sustainability issues, is available at www.fmi.org/sustainability.