A recent Greenpeace report has found that some of the largest US foodservice companies are failing to provide consumers with seafood that meets basic standards for sustainability and social responsibility. Of the 15 companies assessed in the report, only Sodexo, Compass Group, and Aramark received low passing scores, indicating there is much room for improvement.
In the largest canned tuna market in the world, most US foodservice companies are procuring destructive and potentially unethical canned tuna for consumers, the report found. Some tuna producers continue to face pressure for destructive fishing methods and connections to human rights abuses in several supply chains.
Sodexo, Compass Group, and Aramark led the profiled companies due to their transparency, sustainability sourcing requirements, and advocacy efforts, according to Greenpeace, which has still encouraged all companies to work to improve seafood traceability, protect workers’ rights abroad and in the US, and ensure any canned tuna and other seafood they provide is sustainable and ethical.
“Many foodservice companies have avoided accountability for the seafood they sell for far too long,” said Greenpeace Oceans campaigner David Pinsky. “These companies feed millions of people in university cafeterias, corporate dining halls, restaurants, and hospitals, yet consumers are kept in the dark about whether their seafood is sustainable and ethical. It’s time to shine a light on these companies and demand action.”
The seven-page report evaluated seafood operations in five key areas, including policy, responsible sourcing, advocacy, traceability and transparency, and inventory, with consultation from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch as well as labor and worker organizations.
