ALDI’s two business groups, ALDI Nord Group and ALDI SOUTH Group, are partnering with the Global Tuna Alliance (GTA).
The GTA is an independent group of retailers and supply-chain companies working collaboratively to ensure that tuna fisheries meet environmental performance and social responsibility standards, the organization said in a press release.
Because ALDI Nord and ALDI SOUTH together operate more than 11,500 stores in 19 countries, “the retailers hold significant influence over the supply chain and can provide powerful advocacy,” GTA said.
“With tuna representing a significant share of ALDI’s seafood sales, ALDI is committed to improving the sustainability of its tuna supply and have placed tuna at the center of its strategy to provide socially and environmentally responsible seafood to their customer,” GTA said.
Tuna stocks around the world are under increasing strain from poor management and ALDI aims to responsibly source all of its private label tuna, according to ALDI SOUTH Group Director of Corporate Responsibility Sarah Bollermann.
“We are committed to the principles of responsibility and sustainability in the sourcing of our own label fish. We have set ourselves the goal of increasing the share of responsibly sourced products in our fish and seafood range. Working with the GTA will help us reach this goal,” she said.
As part of the GTA, ALDI aims to strengthen advocacy for effective fisheries management across regional fisheries management organizations and assist in finding industry-wide solutions to both social and environmental challenges within global tuna fisheries, GTA said.
GTA’s goals include realizing harvest strategies for tuna fisheries; avoidance of Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) products; improved traceability as well as environmental sustainability; and progressing work on human rights in tuna fisheries.
To support these efforts, the GTA, the World Economic Forum and Friends of Ocean Action are convening responsible businesses, governments and civil society organizations around a voluntary commitment known as the 2025 Pledge towards Sustainable Tuna (25PST).
Photo courtesy of Ceri Breeze/Shutterstock
