More and more people want to know, and increasingly the answer is this: from sustainable fishing. The blue Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label found on many packages, for example, points to just such practices. It is a sign that change is afoot in the approach to fishing.
Certified sustainable fish can now be found in many freezer cabinets, which is important, because the fishing industry still faces many challenges. One reason is the large quantities of fish either caught or farmed, coming in at more than 90 million tonnes for fish caught in the wild and at more than 70 million tonnes from aquaculture. Many natural fish stocks are threatened due to overfishing, illegal fishing methods and environmental pollution. In fact, some 30 per cent of fish stocks are considered to be overfished (source: WWF).
Nonetheless, fish consumption across the world continues to increase. The Food and Agriculture Organisation expects to see a 19 per cent rise in consumption by 2026 compared to 2014–2016 (source: FAO). In order to meet demand, fishing and fish farming have to change, which requires collaboration among the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), organisations such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and retailers like ALDI North.
In future, customers should be able to continue buying fish fingers made of Alaska pollock fillet from our stores with a clear conscience. That is why we are making our entire supply chain for fish and seafood increasingly sustainable. For example, together with partners such as the MSC, we are promoting sustainable fishing practices and discontinuing particularly endangered fish species.
“In order to protect global fish stocks, it is critical that more and more fisheries employ sustainable practices. Retailers have a key role to play in this. By including growing numbers of products from sustainable fisheries into their product ranges, they can make it easier for consumers to make environmentally conscious purchasing decisions.”
Stefanie Kirse, Head of the Germany/Austria/Switzerland Office, Marine Stewardship Council
By way of our new International Fish Purchasing Policy, we are setting uniform minimum standards in 2018 for the purchase of fish and seafood in all countries where ALDI North engages in retail. In this manner, we are systematically switching our product range to sustainable fish products.
We have been committed to sustainable fishing for many years already. You can track our milestones here:
Our International Fish Purchasing Policy will be published! Have a look at the policy when it comes out.
We closely examined all sustainability aspects relevant to our national fish product ranges and are focusing on products that are MSC*, Aquaculture Stewardship Council
(ASC**) or GLOBALG.A.P.*** certified or have the EU organic logo. It will become the new standard, particularly in countries that have not published a National Fish Purchasing Policy.
We publish a National Fish Purchasing Policy in Denmark. It also includes brand-name products. A new version of the National Fish Purchasing Policy is issued at ALDI Belgium. In Germany and Denmark, we achieve the self-imposed goals from the National Purchasing Policies in 2017. They include
We publish a National Fish Purchasing Policy in Portugal. An additional rule specifies that 100 per cent of purchased stockfish – a speciality in Portugal – must be MSC certified.
We also extensively revise our National Fish Purchasing Policy for Germany.
A National Fish Purchasing Policy takes effect at ALDI Netherlands.
Where it all begins: A National Fish Purchasing Policy is published for the first time at ALDI North in Germany, marking the starting point for our efforts.
Our fish labelling on packaging helps you to make conscious purchasing decisions. Among other things, it provides information about the exact type of fish, whether it was caught in the wild or came from aquaculture, how it was caught, where and when. You can also look for the following labels when shopping or use the ALDI Transparency Code (ATC) in Germany.
**Aquaculture Stewardship Council
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is an independent international non-profit organisation established in 2010 by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH). The ASC aims to make fish farming more sustainable worldwide. The standard advocates environmentally compatible and socially responsible fish farming.
EU organic logo:
All fish products and seafood that bear the organic label have been produced and inspected in accordance with EU regulations. Among other things, the organic label stands for tested water quality, regard for the natural habitat and certified organic feed.
***GLOBALG.A.P.
GLOBALG.A.P. is a private organisation which has developed voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products (including fruit and vegetables, feedstock, animal husbandry, plants and seeds, and aquaculture). The inspections focus on food safety, animal welfare, waste and environmental management, and occupational health and safety. Producers certified in accordance with the GLOBALG.A.P. standard can prove that all steps in their production process are fully traceable and are subject to comprehensive monitoring.
*Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council is an independent, international non-profit organisation that administers the globally recognised MSC label for fish sourced from sustainable fishing practices. If a fishery wants to obtain the MSC label, it must undergo evaluation under the MSC environmental standard for sustainable fishing and meet its specifications.
“Our goal by 2020 is for 20 per cent of the global catch to come from fisheries that are MSC certified or in the process of being evaluated by the MSC. To make this a reality, the market, environmental protection groups and fisheries have to cooperate closely. The only way to enable threatened stocks to recover and to restore equilibrium to the marine ecosystem is by expanding the sustainability of fish products on a wide scale.”
Nicolas Guichoux, Global Commercial Director, Marine Stewardship Council
SDG
GRI
People from 117 nations work in the nine European countries in which we are represented. This diversity is a part of the ALDI North Group. It enriches our working relationships and reflects the diversity of our customers.
We align our actions with our core values: simplicity, responsibility and reliability. These values also express the way the ALDI North Group sees and approaches compliance.
We take responsibility for safe and fair working conditions and compliance with environmental standards wherever we can make a difference
Being an ALDI employee above all means embracing our shared values: simplicity, responsibility and reliability. That is what we stand for in all we do, wherever we are located.
The trust of our customers is our most valuable asset. That is why we listen carefully to what they want. For more than 100 years, we have consistently and systematically tailored our products and services towards the demands of our customers.
Taking responsibility for the health and safety of employees in the workplace is part of the ethos of the ALDI North Group companies
We know that there is still a lot to do when it comes to animal welfare, but we are on the right track, as confirmed by two recent publications on commitment to animal welfare in the food industry
The roughly 69,000 ALDI employees make a decisive contribution to the sustained success of the ALDI North Group. All of them can be proud to work for the ALDI North Group. In exchange, they receive secure working conditions, attractive framework conditions and long-term career development prospects
We take responsibility for the protection of our environment and its natural resources. As a retailer, reducing waste and dedicating ourselves to fighting food losses play a central role.
