Sainsbury’s has announced £1 billion plan, which will ensure the company remains at the forefront of sustainability with all seafood sold fully independently certified as sustainable by 2020. All of its own brand canned tuna is now pole and line caught.
The commitment also includes pledge to sell more British sourced food including fish. Sainsbury chief executive Justin King said: “Given the scale of our business, we believe these 20 commitments represent the most ambitious sustainability targets in our industry. If we are to meet the sustainability challenges that lie ahead, it is important that companies such as Sainsbury’s invest in the future right now. We do not see this plan as a luxury, it is rather, an essential investment that will ensure we can continue to provide customers with quality food at fair prices, sustainably.â€
He added: “This represents another step in helping our customers live well for less, following hot on the heels of our re-launch of by Sainsbury’s and Brand Match. The 20 by 20 shows customers that they can indeed have greater quality at lower prices, without compromising on standards or their values.â€
Sainsbury’s is already Britain’s biggest retailer of sustainable fish with all of its own brand canned tuna pole and line caught. The company has also developed a sustainability rating for wild caught fish, with the help of input from fishery scientists and environmental organizations. All of its wild salmon is MSC certified, while all own brand farmed salmon is sourced from Scottish farms to RSPCA freedom food welfare standards.
The company said: “By 2020, all the wild-caught fish we sell will be independently certified as sustainable but the vast majority will be certified long before this time.â€! We’ll communicate our progress along the way.
