Earthcharter

Trader Joe's Makes the Jump to Sustainable Seafood

Thursday, 01 April 2010 16:17

The major food retailer Trader Joe's has announced that it will sell only sustainably sourced seafood by the end of 2012. The company is joining a growing (and welcome!) trend of grocery chains adopting sustainable practices.

The company came under fire from Greenpeace and other environmental groups for selling "red list" seafood like orange roughy, which have a high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries.

Trader Joe’s, which has established a cost-conscious but eco-friendly brand, has long disappointed sustainable-seafood activists. It was ranked 17 out of 20 retailers, the lowest of any national grocery chain, in Greenpeace's regular review of sustainable seafood policies and practices among major retailers. Based on its new policies, Trader Joe’s is expected to receive a passing grade in the next report, tentatively scheduled for release the week of April 26, Greenpeace said.

Several national retailers have taken steps in recent months to establish or improve their seafood buying policies. In January, Target announced it would replace farmed salmon with the more sustainable Alaskan wild salmon.

Still, work remains to be done, Trenor said. Of the 20 largest supermarket chains in the United States, eight have still made no visible effort to increase the sustainability of their seafood operations, according to the latest report from Greenpeace. These include: Aldi, Costco, Giant Eagle, H.E.B., Meijer, Price Chopper, Publix and Winn Dixie.

This is a reminder that we should all be more conscious of the foods we eat and feed our families.