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Greenpeace has long been an ardent crusader for the health of the world's oceans. They have worked with several companies to improve their sourcing and they also release a guide to ethically sourced tuna.
According to the sixth edition of Greenpeace's Carting Away to Oceans report (CATO), only two major retailers have been given a top green rating.
The report states that, "through varying combinations of progressive policy development, public support for conservation measures, and the elimination of unsustainable seafood inventory items, these two companies – Safeway and Whole Foods – have transformed themselves into undeniable leaders within the industry. Although the two retailers are extremely different in business model, consumer demographic, and size, they have each found ways to excel in their promotion and adoption of sustainable seafood. Certainly they still have a great deal of work to do – sustainability is, after all, a moving target, as it is inextricably linked to the dynamics of our oceanic ecosystems and to the vagaries of our changing climate – but Greenpeace celebrates the achievements of these companies and eagerly awaits similar outcomes from other retailers that are poised to embrace sustainability to a greater degree."
Even more surprisingly, the last two years have had the most progress, which means that there is a growing trend among seafood retailers to find sustainable alternatives. There are significant challenges in supplying sustainable seafood, but with constant innovation and policy change, companies can lead the way to healthier oceans.
Image Credit: Greenpeace © CATO Report 2012
Akhila is the Founding Director of GreenDen Consultancy which is dedicated to offering business analysis, reporting and marketing solutions powered by sustainability and social responsibility. Based in the US, Europe, and India, the GreenDen's consultants share the best practices and innovation from around the globe to achieve real results. She has previously written about CSR and ethical consumption for Justmeans and hopes to put a fresh spin on things for this column. As an IEMA certified CSR practitioner, she hopes to highlight a new way of doing business. She believes that consumers have the immense power to change 'business as usual' through their choices. She is a Graduate in Molecular Biology from the University of Glasgow, UK and in Environmental Management and Law. In her free-time she is a voracious reader and enjoys photography, yoga, travelling and the great outdoors. She can be contacted via Twitter @aksvi and also http://www.thegreenden.net