Aldi UK’s parent Aldi Süd has become the first food retailer in the world to include the Marine Stewardship Council’s new Improvement Program in its sourcing policy.
Launched last October, the new programme – which complements existing MSC Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) operating globally – aims to offer fisheries support and incentives to become more sustainable, provided they make measurable improvements over a five-year period.
The scheme was “designed to support fisheries worldwide, regardless of their size or location to make the changes necessary for them to meet the MSC Fisheries Standard”, the NGO said.
Aldi’s shift in policy aligned with “the growing demand among UK consumers for sustainably sourced seafood” and would help encourage further fisheries to commit to improving their practices and gaining MSC certification, it added.
UK shoppers were “increasingly” seeking products sourced from certified sustainable fisheries, with over half of UK seafood consumers (55%) agreeing that seeing the blue MSC eco-label would make them more likely to purchase a product, the NGO pointed out, citing a Globescan poll of 1,073 seafood customers last year.
While many businesses already sourced seafood from FIPs as part of their sustainable sourcing commitments and policies, the effectiveness and impact of these projects could vary significantly, the MSC suggested.
Through its new initiative, the MSC would provide “stronger assurance that fisheries’ improvements were verified and timely”.
The programme will support fisheries that aim to enter full assessment against the MSC Standard within five years, and “will be an important tool for growing the number of certified sustainable fisheries worldwide”, it added.
Aldi’s move was described as a “fantastic” by Loren Hiller, MSC UK & Ireland’s commercial manager.
‘Significant precedent for others to follow’
“This marks the first public commitment to the programme by a retailer, setting a significant precedent for others to follow,” she added.
The coming years would be “critical for achieving the MSC’s ambitious goal of engaging over one third of the world’s marine catch in our programme by 2030”, Hillier said. With 19.3% of global wild marine catch currently engaged, there was “significant work ahead”.
Aldi’s commitment “highlights the pivotal role retailers, brands, and restaurants play in driving progress towards sustainable fisheries”, she added.
According to the MSC, its Improvement Program provides a robust framework to incentivise and accelerate meaningful change in fisheries that are not yet ready for certification, and gives them access to vital support, including funding.
By supporting these fisheries on their journey towards meeting the MSC Fisheries Standard, Aldi was “not only contributing to healthier oceans but also setting a powerful example for the market”, the NGO stressed, while encouraging other retailers and brands to follow suit “and use their influence to promote sustainability across the supply chain”.
Fisheries participating in the MSC Improvement Program will not be eligible to use the MSC eco-label as their catch is not certified sustainable.
However, once they achieve minimum performance requirements across all indicators and meet specific traceability requirements, they may gain access to MSC-certified supply chains.
As an added incentive, retail products containing their seafood can display a back-of-pack statement indicating their participation in the Improvement Program.
“We are proud to be the first retailer to incorporate the MSC’s new Improvement Program into our sourcing policy,” said Aldi national sustainability director Liz Fox.
“This initiative provides fisheries with vital support and incentives to enhance their sustainability practices, helping to ensure healthier oceans for future generations. We look forward to building on our existing partnership with the MSC and advancing the transition towards more sustainable seafood sourcing.”
The new MSC programme builds on a previous pilot initiative, which ran from 2020 to 2024.
During this phase, some 16 fisheries from South Africa, Mexico, Indonesia, India, Nicaragua and Peru, as well as one Scottish fishery, were successively included into the initiative.
The first fishery to successfully complete the programme during the pilot phase was part of the South African Pole & Line Albacore tuna fishery.
Following the implementation of improvements in data collection, monitoring by independent observers, implementation of management rules and minimisation of bycatch of endangered species, particularly seabirds, this fishery was able to meet the MSC standard and get certified in an independent certification process in August 2024.
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