EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods announced an exclusive initiative with two of its global shrimp suppliers, Thai Union Frozen PCL and Avanti Frozen Foods, making the company the largest importer of Fair Trade Certified™ shrimp in the United States. This marks not only the first fair trade seafood or shrimp certification in India, but also the first certification of two suppliers simultaneously from different geographic regions.
This recent fair trade certification is an extension of the Thai Union global sustainability platform, SeaChange, and the seafood giant’s commitment to protect the planet, improve lives, and fight poverty within the communities in which it operates. As part of Thai Union North America, Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods partnered with Thai Union Frozen and Avanti, a Thai Union affiliated company, on this important initiative to help drive sustainability and leadership in the industry and category. Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods is the #1 importer of frozen shrimp in the United States. With shrimp as the most consumed seafood in the country, this certification provides U.S. consumers with the volume of Fair Trade Certified options they are starting to demand.
“Here at Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods, we are proud to champion sustainability for both the sea and local communities through Fair Trade’s rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards,” says Bryan Rosenberg, CEO, Thai Union North America. “In an industry survey we conducted earlier this year, we saw that nearly 3/4 of food executives and buyers saw an increase in demand for sustainably caught/raised products. Fair trade certification gives us the opportunity to provide them with what they want in a clear, recognizable way.”
An award-winning, rigorous, and globally recognized sustainable sourcing model, Fair Trade USA works to improve livelihoods, protect the environment and build resilient, transparent supply chains. Fair trade certification allows consumers to purchase with the trust that each product was made according to rigorous standards that protect workers, farmers, fishers, and their communities. This includes:
“This initiative bolsters the efforts of conventional seafood partners getting involved in improving global environmental and human rights protections,” say Paul Rice, Founder & CEO of Fair Trade USA. “Thai Union’s commitment to sustainability and the fair trade shrimp initiative helps elevate customer confidence in their leadership in this space and ability to meet consumer demand for seafood they can feel good about. As the first global initiative of its kind, this is a step towards greater equity throughout the seafood supply chain.”
###
About Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods
COSFF is a fully owned subsidiary of the Thai Union Group. It operates seafood brands including Chicken of the Sea, Xcellent, Asian Gold, Orion, and VanCamps, sold at retailers, clubs, wholesalers, broadline foodservice operators, and national restaurants chains.
Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods, headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., sources responsibly and enforces a strict code of conduct with suppliers throughout the world. Established in 2006 in partnership with Thai Union, the newly formed company went from zero to more than a billion dollars in sales within 15 years. COSFF is the #1 importer of shrimp and crab meat in North America and is also a market leader in multiple other seafood product categories.
For information on Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods, please visit b2b.chickenofthesea.com.
About Fair Trade USA
Fair Trade USA, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the leading certifier of fair trade products in North America. Offering award-winning, rigorous, and globally recognized sustainable sourcing certification programs that improve livelihoods, protect the environment, and build resilient, transparent supply chains, its trusted Fair Trade Certified™ seal on a product signifies that it was made according to stringent fair trade standards. Fair Trade USA is building an innovative model of responsible business, conscious consumerism, and shared value to eliminate poverty and enable sustainable development for farmers, workers, their families, and communities around the world.
