The United States’ second largest food retailer is partnering with the World Wildlife Fund.
The Kroger Co., with the help of WWF, will develop a sustainable seafood sourcing strategy for its top 20 wild species and encourage the fisheries from which it sources to pursue sustainability certification under programs such as the Marine Stewardship Council.
The Cincinnati supermarket company will also be engaged in the WWF’s Aquaculture Dialogues, a series of roundtable discussions aimed at creating certification standards for farmed seafood, including shrimp, salmon, tilapia, catfish and pangasius.
“Kroger can play an important role in transforming the way seafood is harvested,” said Bill Fox, VP and managing director of WWF’s fisheries program. “It is through collaborations like this that we can achieve important conservation goals to protect our oceans and ensure that retailers like Kroger can rely on a continued supply of seafood products into the future.”
“Kroger is enthusiastic about this project and what it can mean for our customers,” said Mark Van Buskirk, Kroger’s VP of meat and seafood. “Our goal is that our customers and their children can enjoy fresh, sustainable seafood for generations to come.”
Kroger recorded sales of USD 76 billion (EUR 51.4 billion) in fiscal 2008 and operates about 2,475 supermarkets nationwide under numerous banners, including Fred Meyer, Fry’s Food and Drug and Ralphs.
