At Publix, we place a priority on the sustainability practices of our suppliers, including those that provide our seafood products. We consider sustainability a continuous effort, not just a single set of standards and procedures for our suppliers to follow. We collaborate with our seafood suppliers and strive to implement ongoing improvement in regards to the effects of sourcing on our environment. We want to find a balance between providing high quality products and minimizing our impact to the environment. Our commitment to sustainability is even a part of our mission statement. Curious about how we do this? There are many ways. Check them out below!
Ocean Disclosure Project
Publix launched the Ocean Disclosure Project that provides information regarding the details of our seafood suppliers including the locations of fisheries, environmental impacts, and types of fishing gear used in the process. This reference guide explains the different fishing methods and certifications of each fishery we use to source our seafood products from.
New State Labeling
Our labeling provides customers with information about what state our seafood products come from and are available in all of our stores. If you would like more information about these labels, feel free to ask a Publix seafood associate for further assistance. We also launched this local signage for the products in our grocery and produce departments. If the product is grown, harvested, or manufactured within the state the store is located, the product will have the state’s label on the shelf.
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP)
Our teams work closely with seafood suppliers and producers for the development of Fishery and Aquaculture Improvement Projects. These projects focus on building an agreement for improvements in policies, marine conservation measures, fishing and fish-farming practices. The SFP helps by providing us with different evaluations and tracking methods to assess fisheries and measure the suppliers’ progress and improvement in sustainable sourcing over time. We have also provided $280,000 in funding to help support several fishery improvement projects. These fishery improvement projects are an alliance of buyers, suppliers, and producers who work collectively to improve a fishery or farming area by pressing for better policies, changing fishing practices and reducing habitat impacts of sourcing. Any fishery improvement project must have clear objectives and timelines, as well as progress tracking and reporting.
Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI)
Publix has adopted the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative benchmark for the products covered in the Ocean Disclosure Project and our aquaculture products. The GSSI strives to develop an internationally agreed upon set of requirements to compare and measure the performance of seafood certification. This set of requirements helps to establish a consistent global benchmark for ecolabels and promotes continual improvement for sustainability. While these benchmarks will be established over time, this set of requirements will drive sustainability through the collaboration and recognition of legitimate ecolabels, allowing customers to make informed choices on the products they are purchasing.
For more information on our other sustainability efforts, you can view our sustainability website. What steps do you take to better our environment? Share them in the comments below.
