Know What You Buy

Overview

You can’t build a smart strategy if you don’t first get a full picture of what you’re facing. You need to know where your best opportunities are for transitioning your supply chain effectively toward sustainability. You also need to be able to identify crucial issues in your supply chain that could expose your business to potential danger and censure, ranging from health and safety risks from incorrect labeling to serious illegality such as unsafe working conditions, forced labor, or even human trafficking.

More than 85% of global fish stocks are at significant risk of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

KNOW WHAT YOU BUY

Gathering sourcing data allows you to assess the current sustainability of your products, and identify associated risks, so that you can develop an action plan to improve and transition your supply chain.

Conduct a supply chain assessment

A supply chain assessment gives you a broad view of your company’s current sourcing risks and sustainability opportunities.

To start, gather all your sourcing data, and look across it to distinguish as much of the who, what, where, and how as you can for all of the seafood products in your portfolio. WWF can provide a list of common and feasible data elements, also known as Key Data Elements (or KDEs), as a starting point for this assessment. This process allows you to discover where there are gaps or inconsistencies in information. Knowing this will help you assess the current sustainability of your products, and identify associated risks, so that you can develop an action plan to improve and transition your supply chain.

Get traceability systems up and running

Effective traceability is one of the most important tools to end illegal fishing and strengthen sustainability practices.

Companies should be able to track seafood products to their point of origin – in this case that means the fishing vessel or the geographic location of the farm. It is critical that sourcing information can flow easily between points along your supply chain. Common data element collection across supply chain actors and system interoperability are important ways to help ensure information transfer.

EXAMPLES OF COMMON KEY DATA ELEMENTS (KDEs)

Species and product name;
Fishing gear type / Farming production method;
Geographic location of farm / Fishing location (EEZ, FAO Fishing Area, etc.);
Vessel identity (IMO/ID number, flag state);
Raw material certification status;
IUCN Red List and CITES Appendix applicability.

Learn More

The Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability

The GDST is an international, business-to-business platform established in 2017 and co-founded with WWF to create the first-ever global industry standards for seafood traceability. The Dialogue developed interoperable industry standards to improve the reliability of seafood information, reduce the cost of seafood traceability, contribute to supply chain risk reduction, and contribute to securing the long-term social and environmental sustainability of the sector. Since being published in March 2020, the GDST standards have been endorsed by multiple industry groups and other leading stakeholders in the sustainable seafood space. Dozens of companies have already made public commitments to implementing GDST standards, and more than 30 vendors are already offering third-party traceability services compatible with GDST.

THE GDST STANDARDS

Next Step: Improve Your Sourcing

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Latest News

Investors Prioritize Traceable Seafood as a Way to Combat IUU and Overfishing

34 investors representing US $5.9 trillion join new initiative to help advance seafood traceability

Seafood is one of the world’s most highly traded and valuable commodities, with global demand expected to double by 2050. Yet a significant amount of seafood-related assets and revenue – up to US $2.89 trillion over the next 15 years – may be at risk due to overfishing, habitat degradation, nutrient pollution, and disease. These negative impacts can pose significant financial risks to seafood companies – and their investors, lenders, and insurers – by reducing fisheries productivity, increasing supply chain volatility, and causing serious reputational damage.

A New Approach for Holistic Fisheries and Aquaculture Improvement

Picture a fishing community rich with coastal mangrove forests and highly productive waters that has sustained fishing for generations. Aware of the need to maintain healthy fish stocks, the community has adopted better fishing practices like using more selective fishing gear, implementing closure periods, and establishing no-take areas near reefs and in mangrove forests, all of which have helped to sustain their livelihoods and a thriving ecosystem.

But demand for seafood continues to grow. The surrounding community puts increased pressure on the same fish stock, begins developing irresponsible aquaculture operations in mangrove forests, and occurrences of inequitable labor practices have increased. Biodiversity is in decline, climate change is shifting fish stocks out of reach, and the need for improved social equity in the seafood sector is coming to light. These pressures threaten the livelihood, opportunity, and well-being of local communities and seafood companies, and the national government is under scrutiny for a lack of action to address issues.

Kroger: A Sustainability Policy Fit for Business & Planet

In light of the recent publishing of Kroger’s 2023 Environmental & Social Governance Report, we interviewed Lisa Zwack, Head of Sustainability at Kroger, to reflect on the US retailer’s sustainability journey, their achievements, and plans for the future. Additionally, we learned about Kroger’s Seafood Sustainability Policy and the goals they have already accomplished, as well as the work still to be done. Furthermore, we examine Kroger’s commitment to a nature-positive approach in the seafood sector and how they are addressing the importance of biodiversity preservation as well as seafood traceability in their operations.