Lidl supermarket locations within the United States will sell only certified sustainable fresh and frozen seafood as part of its daily fish counter assortments, the company announced on 17 May.
The decision is supported by a partnership recently established between Lidl US, the Marine Stewardship Council, the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).
“We are pleased to announce that our entire everyday fresh and frozen seafood assortment will be certified sustainable,” Lidl US Chief Commercial Officer Boudewijn Tiktak said. “We are proud to work closely with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in this step to ensure suppliers meet our high-quality standards. As a company, we are always working to make better and more sustainable choices attainable to all customers and this is an important part of that promise.”
“Lidl’s commitment to certified sustainable sourcing for all fresh and frozen seafood in its core assortment will indeed set a new standard in the U.S. market,” added Brian Perkins, MSC’s regional director for the Americas. “When people purchase MSC-certified seafood, their choice supports fishermen around the world who are working hard to meet the world’s most rigorous standard for environmental sustainability of wild capture fishing.”
Chris Keller, BAP’s Director of North American Market Development, noted the broad scope that such a commitment encompasses.
“This is a tremendous step by Lidl to ensure that its entire core assortment of fresh and frozen seafood is third party certified,” Keller said. “This important commitment helps address issues such as disease, antibiotic use and social welfare in the supply chain. Lidl clearly sees how this is the next frontier in responsible and sustainable sourcing. We applaud the vision and commitment of Lidle as they join with BAP to drive true change in the market place and the industry.”
T he Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) said that Lidl is proving itself as an industry leader by making the move. The ASC said it highlighted the important role that retailers play in supporting sustainable farming and fishing practices.
“We applaud Lidl’s leadership and commitment to conservation,” ASC Commercial Director Esther Luiten said. “They are important partners for the ASC and are critical to helping us reward and recognize those farms that meet best practices. Their pledge to increase their commitment will also help us bring even more farms into our fast-growing program. Importantly, Lidl has upended the idea that seafood from farms certified to best social and environmental standards, such as the ASC, has to come at a premium price. Consumers can have confidence that Lidl shares their values for seafood produced in the best possible manner.”
