Ikea is doing something revolutionary: they are helping to make seafood sustainable. They may be known for their furniture, but their food business is also significant, Take Part reported. Sales of their popular food items like meatballs accounted for more than $1.5 billion in revenue. Their seafood segment sales for this year is estimated at $245 million.
"The commitment to responsible seafood sourcing is an exciting next step in the progression of our food business," said Gerd Diewald, Ikea's U.S. food manager. A few months ago, Ikea launched a vegan version of its popular meatballs, The Guardian reported.
Diewald added, "Offering healthy, tasty, and sustainable food options at affordable prices follows our vision to create a better everyday life for the many people." The next step they are taking is with their seafood. On Tuesday, Ikea announced that any and all seafood it sells will be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council.
This makes Ikea the largest retailer of certified seafood products in the whole world. Ikea's announcement is "another example of this increased demand for sustainable seafood," said Shawn Cronin, business program manager at Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program. "And for all of us that are working with market leverage to improve fisheries management and aquaculture, this is a win."
The commitment of such a large partner like Ikea to sustainable food and the certification program greatly legitimizes it and makes certification a step closer to being the norm. Almost 2/3 of the world's fisheries are considered fully-exploited while the rest are already considered over-exploited.
"We realise it might not resonate with everyone," said Jacqui Macalister, Ikea's health and sustainability manager, "but consumers have become so much more in tune with food and how it is produced. They are aware of overfishing and are starting to make choices and decisions that they know are responsible."
And with 23 kinds of fish being marketed by Ikea to 47 countries around the world, some of them eating certified food for the first time, Ikea is now the world leader in creating a sustainable system from which aquaculture can prosper.
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