Someone should tell Greenpeace to hold off on its self congratulatory applause. You see Ahold USA’s latest seafood sustainability efforts (Giant food, Stop & Shop etc) are NOT a result of Greenpeace’s non-science based, misguided campaign that, aside from yawns, has drawn a staggering amount of intense passing interest from tens of consumers.
To be clear-- in today’s IntraFish the senior seafood buyer for Stop & Shop and Giant is quoted as saying, “None of this is in reaction to the Greenpeace retailer rankings. These decisions were made as a result of the advice we received from the New England Aquarium.”
In fact Ahold’s sustainability efforts stand in contrast to Greenpeace’s campaign and serve more to highlight how much of a fringe organization Greenpeace is. Ahold chose the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solution and the New England Aquarium in particular as partners in their efforts. You’ll remember, Greepeace is not one of the dozen conservation groups that make up that coalition.
It was last week that Greenpeace tried to weasel its way into somehow claiming credit for Whole Food’s seafood sustainability efforts (of which they had no part.) And now I expect to see them touting this latest effort as one of their own.
Perhaps if Greenpeace had a reasonable, science-based approach that didn’t involve threats and distortions they too could celebrate these efforts as successes. But they don’t and have relegated themselves to marginalized onlookers who seek credit were it is not due.
