MOM's Tops Greenpeace's 'Green Seafood Grocers' List
MOM's - My Organic Market has received the highest score among "Green Seafood Grocers" chosen by Greenpeace. The grocer garnered 84 out of a possible 100 points, putting it at the top of the list in the states in which it operates as well as the United States.
Greenpeace released its assessment of 35 U.S. retailers' seafood sustainability practices last month. The criteria by which the companies were rated were the number of Red List seafood items (species being fished by unsustainable means) on sale, labeling and transparency, support for sustainability initiatives, and seafood-sourcing policy.
"We hope that other retailers will soon follow in our footsteps by choosing to fully support sustainable seafood, and not sell seafood that's over-fished or has a negative impact on the surrounding environment," noted MOM's v.p. of grocery Lisa de Lima, who also noted that the grocer is currently the only one in the United States exclusively to sell fish rated "Best Choice" by FishWise and Monterey Bay Aquarium's "Seafood Watch" program.
Among the other retailers to receive high rankings from Greenpeace for sustainable seafood practices were Andronico's (72.3), Bi-Rite Market (77.3), Nugget Market (72.3), and Greenlife Grocery (81.5).
Also last month, Greenpeace issued its "Retail Seafood Sustainability Scorecard" featuring 20 well-known national and regional supermarket operators. Whole Foods Market squeaked into the "pass" column with a 47.3 rating. A 40 score is considered passing by Greenpeace.
Other grocers to pass muster were Ahold USA (45.6), SuperTarget (43.8), and Harris Teeter (40.3), while 16 companies failed to make cut, including Walmart, Safeway, Wegmans, A&P, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Delhaize, Supervalu, and Trader Joe's.
MOM's said in May that it was carrying only environmentally sustainable seafood at its stores in Maryland and Virginia, and noted it was the first U.S. retailer to do so.
Rockville, Md.-based MOM's operates five stores in the Washington metro area: Rockville; College Park, Md.; Alexandria, Va.; Columbia East, Md.; and Frederick, Md.
More about the Greenpeace report can be found at http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/oceans/seafood.
Greenpeace released its assessment of 35 U.S. retailers' seafood sustainability practices last month. The criteria by which the companies were rated were the number of Red List seafood items (species being fished by unsustainable means) on sale, labeling and transparency, support for sustainability initiatives, and seafood-sourcing policy.
"We hope that other retailers will soon follow in our footsteps by choosing to fully support sustainable seafood, and not sell seafood that's over-fished or has a negative impact on the surrounding environment," noted MOM's v.p. of grocery Lisa de Lima, who also noted that the grocer is currently the only one in the United States exclusively to sell fish rated "Best Choice" by FishWise and Monterey Bay Aquarium's "Seafood Watch" program.
Among the other retailers to receive high rankings from Greenpeace for sustainable seafood practices were Andronico's (72.3), Bi-Rite Market (77.3), Nugget Market (72.3), and Greenlife Grocery (81.5).
Also last month, Greenpeace issued its "Retail Seafood Sustainability Scorecard" featuring 20 well-known national and regional supermarket operators. Whole Foods Market squeaked into the "pass" column with a 47.3 rating. A 40 score is considered passing by Greenpeace.
Other grocers to pass muster were Ahold USA (45.6), SuperTarget (43.8), and Harris Teeter (40.3), while 16 companies failed to make cut, including Walmart, Safeway, Wegmans, A&P, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Delhaize, Supervalu, and Trader Joe's.
MOM's said in May that it was carrying only environmentally sustainable seafood at its stores in Maryland and Virginia, and noted it was the first U.S. retailer to do so.
Rockville, Md.-based MOM's operates five stores in the Washington metro area: Rockville; College Park, Md.; Alexandria, Va.; Columbia East, Md.; and Frederick, Md.
More about the Greenpeace report can be found at http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/oceans/seafood.