Global Food Collaborative

Around the world, people are awakening to our impact on the planet.  Environmental concerns are no longer the rallying cry of a few, as multinational business executives to schoolchildren are becoming more aware of what our actions today mean for the world we, our children and grandchildren will live in. 

When it comes to fish in the sea for future generations, the global seafood industry and people who shop for fish or order it from menus are increasingly realizing their role in preserving this critical food resource.  The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) was established ten years ago to develop a certification standard and market-driven model that connects sustainable, well managed fisheries seeking a way to demonstrate their responsible practices with consumers seeking assurance that the seafood they buy is not contributing to depletion of stocks or harming the ocean.

The MSC, an organization that works with the commercial seafood industry at all levels of the supply chain, has developed the world’s leading environmental certification for wild-capture fisheries, along with a detailed seafood traceability system.  MSC is an international organization, with headquarters for the Americas in Seattle.  All certification to the MSC standard – which was developed over two years in collaboration with global environmental, industry and scientific experts – is done by independent, third-party certifiers.

Some of the world’s largest fisheries, including Alaska, have long been well managed and sustainable.  By becoming MSC-certified they have opened access to global market segments looking to source certified sustainable seafood and, importantly, become market leaders in encouraging other fisheries around the world to make improvements.  There are now more than 120 fisheries, representing more than 5 million tons annually, engaged at some level of assessment or certification to the MSC standard. 

Buyers and businesses in the supply chain that have certification to take MSC-certified fish to the next market step in the journey from “boat to plate” are growing in number.  The number of products bearing the MSC logo has tripled in the last two years to more than 1,600 in 36 countries.  Wal-Mart has committed to sourcing only MSC-certified seafood by 2011.  The Dutch Association of Food Retail, representing more than 4,500 stores, has made the same commitment.  Top-name, leading retailers in Europe, the UK, Canada, U.S., Japan and elsewhere are sourcing, stocking and promoting MSC-certified seafood products.


















Tens of millions of homes across Europe have received MSC-certified seafood promotions from Lidl, such as this one distributed in Italy earlier this year.  Lidl is part of the Schwartz Group, the tenth largest retailer in the world and the fourth largest in Europe.


Media interest, as a result, is on the rise.  Recent coverage in mainstream news broadcasts, feature television programming, newspapers, magazines, Web sites and blogs has introduced the MSC logo to millions in leading world markets.

The momentum of the MSC is one part of what we are beginning to see across products: conservation measures becoming institutionalized in the business sector, government and in the daily lives of consumers.  According to IRI “Consumer Trend Watch 2008,” approximately half of U.S. consumers consider at least one sustainability factor when selecting brands to buy or stores to shop.  For seafood specifically, “the percent of sustainable seafood sold in U.S. chain restaurants, retailers and wholesalers is on the rise, and all three sectors predict significant sales of sustainable to rise over the five years,” according to the May 2008 report, “The U.S. Marketplace for Sustainable Seafood,” compiled by Seafood Choices Alliance.

The MSC standard is rigorous, and respected globally.  Getting certified with MSC is one of the best ways available for fisheries and supply chain businesses to stay ahead of the trend and secure a place in the expanding sustainable seafood market.

To learn more about the MSC, or to find out about getting certified as a fishery, processor, supplier, distributor, retailer or foodservice outlet, visit www.msc.org

Kerry J. Coughlin
Communications Director, Americas
Marine Stewardship Council
2110 N. Pacific St., Suite 102
Seattle, WA 98103  USA
tel    206.691.0188 x 103