Mercadona has become the first Spain-based retailer to recognize the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program, the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) announced on Dec. 21. Mercadona has added BAP to its farmed seafood sourcing policy and will accept the program as a means of compliance for suppliers.
“Mercadona works closely with several national and international organizations aimed at sharing best practices, mutual learning and making progress in sustainability with a firm focus on the supply chain at all times,” said Yasmina Santos of Mercadona.
“Having just started to represent BAP in Spain, I’m delighted that Mercadona was so quick to make this move,” said Anders Holmgren, BAP Market Development Manager for Spain and Portugal, who joined the organization this year. “However, it really is no surprise for me, as the comprehensive nature of the BAP program offers fantastic value to retailers and their suppliers, covering many of the key risks.”
Administered by GAA, BAP is the world’s most comprehensive third-party aquaculture certification program, with standards encompassing environmental responsibility, social responsibility, food safety, animal health and welfare, and traceability. The BAP program covers the entire aquaculture production chain — processing plants, hatcheries, farms and feed mills. The BAP program is recognized by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative, Global Food Safety Initiative and Global Social Compliance Program.
Through the first half of 2020, there were 2,773 BAP-certified processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills in 36 countries and six continents.
About Mercadona
Mercadona, a family company, is one of the leading physical supermarket and online shopping companies in Spain. Its goal is to be responsible for prescribing “The Boss” (customer) the best option to satisfy its food, home care, personal care, and pet care needs. Thanks to this, 5.4 million households place their trust in the company every day. Created in 1977 by the Cárnicas Roig Group, currently it has currently it has 1.633 stores across Spain and 16 in Portugal, and a staff of 90.000 employees who seek excellence, 900 of them in Portugal.
About BAP
A division of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program based on achievable, science-based and continuously improved performance standards for the entire aquaculture supply chain — farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills — that assure healthful foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means. BAP certification is based on independent audits that evaluate compliance with the BAP standards developed by GAA.
