Whole Foods Increasing Sustainable Choices For Customers

By Megan Zielinski, contributing writer

Whole Foods Market’s two partnering organizations since 2010, Monterey Bay Aquarium Watch and The Safina Center (Blue Ocean Institute), will be using Monterey Bay Aquarium’s scientific standards and methodology for rating sustainability of different types of fish, providing consumers with seafood from trustworthy sources, and increasing the selection of species offered in Whole Food Markets.

With both organizations together being on the same spectrum regarding research and measurability of sustainable sources, the more groups of fish and fisheries can be evaluated and receive ratings, providing grocers, including Whole Foods Market with a larger variety of “Best Choice” (green) and “Good Alternative” (yellow) options. The rating program will push even more fisheries to practice responsible catching, helping to transform the entire seafood industry into a sustainable market, benefiting fisheries, grocers, and customers along with our oceans. Regarding the strategic research and science of MBA and TSC on the most abundant species and top managed fisheries, Whole Foods Market global seafood buyer, David Pilat states, “They share our commitment to the highest standards and continual improvement, so this collaboration will streamline all our efforts to keep driving change in the industry.”

By providing input involving customer favorites and seasonal choices, Whole Foods Market is allowing for MBA and TSC to focus research on the most impactful seafood issues, such as overfishing and bycatch, and evaluate specific types of seafood most preferred—bringing more options to customers’ plates and driving demand from sustainable fisheries. “There’s a real impact on the water when retailers like Whole Foods Market source responsibly caught seafood, creating an economic reward for fisheries to improve their ratings.” said Carl Safina, founding president of The Safina Center.

Whole Foods Market is dedicated to serving the best for customers and the environment in all categories of the food department—the choices of seafood either receive certification by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or sustainability ratings through the MBA and The Safina Center, including the green and yellow marked options. In 2012, all red-rated choices, such as non-MSC-certified Orange Roughy, Bluefin tuna, sharks, Chilean Sea Bass were removed from Whole Foods Market—with red signifying scarcity of species, or harmful fishing practices that negatively affect the environment and marine life. In a statement involving the 2010 partnership, Michael Sutton, vice president of the Monterey Bay Aquarium who manages the Watch program said, “Whole Foods Market is a leader in the field and its decision will have a real impact on seafood suppliers and other retailers. Its in‐store education and commitment to phase out red‐rated seafood will help raise awareness and improve fishing practices around the world.”

Whole Foods Market holds the highest seafood standards in the industry, requiring third-party audits and documenting over 20 fields of information involving the entire supply chain of all farm and wild-caught catches. “Responsibly Farmed” is the only logo that Whole Foods Market carries on their farm-raised pieces, prohibiting use of added growth hormones, preservatives such as sulfites and phosphates, antibiotics, genetically-modified, and land animal by-products in fish foods.