Ocean Disclosure Project: Greencore moves toward making seafood sourcing transparent

02 Dec 2021 --- Convenience food manufacturer Greencore Group has voluntarily published details of its wild-caught and farmed seafood sourcing operations in the Ocean Disclosure Project (ODP). 

The company’s newly released ODP profile comprises a list of its wild-caught and farmed seafood sources, alongside information on the countries of origin, certification and ratings, and environmental impact of production.

“We have worked really hard with our suppliers on fish sourcing and disclosing our progress is crucial; it helps drive accountability through transparency,” explains Victoria Broekhuizen, purchasing controller of seafood at Greencore.

“We are committed to continuous improvement, and this way our progress is visible to all.”

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership started the ODP in 2015 to provide an information resource for seafood investors, consumers and industry stakeholders interested in sustainable catch. 

To date, 39 other companies including retailers, suppliers, and aquaculture feed manufacturers from around the world have participated. Other new participants this year have included seafood suppliers Thai Union Group, LP Foods and Hilton Seafood UK.

Recent analysis has found that a tenth of fish stocks globally are now on the brink of collapse, reduced to just 10% of their original size.Keeping an eye on the ocean
UK-based Greencore supplies chilled, frozen and ambient foods to all major supermarkets across Britain, as well as convenience and travel retail outlets, discounters, coffee shops, foodservice and other retailers.

According to the company’s self-reported statistics, 76.6% of its volume is sourced from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified and Fishery Improvement Projects (FIP) fisheries.

Greencore also recorded a high scoring for its responsibly caught tuna, with 98.8% of its catch coming from pole and line operations – which lower the risk of bycatch – and MSC and FIP fisheries.

In aquaculture, the company recorded a 99.9% rating for its volume sourced from farms either certified by GlobalG.A.P or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), or given a 4-star rating by Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP).

The supermarket maintains that 100% of its warm water prawns are sourced from farms certified with a BAP 4-star rating. 

Fish stocks on the “brink of collapse”
The disclosure of key details about a food organization’s seafood sourcing is even more critical today as fish populations are in a far worse state than previously estimated.

The Minderoo Foundation’s recently published Global Fishing Index – pegged as the most extensive independent assessment of global fish stocks to date – has found that a tenth of fish stocks globally are now on the brink of collapse, reduced to just 10% of their original size. 

This report was published shortly after recent analysis found that fishing-related pollution is the most abundant polluter globally, but only in open waters.

With the environmental impact of fishing gear coming to light since the Netflix documentary Seaspiracy, alternatives to marine-caught produce – like cell-based seafood and plant-based fish alternatives – have begun dominating public interest.

Even taking into consideration the environmental impact of fishing, some scientific institutions have ranked seafood more highly than terrestrial animal proteins, in terms of both their potential for sustainability gains and nutritional value.

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer