MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Grocery giant Supervalu is putting its weight behind sustainable seafood with plans to source its best-selling fish entirely from sustainable sources in the next four years.

Supervalu operates more than 2,500 stores through its network that includes the Save-A-Lot, Lucky, Albertsons, Farm Fresh and Shop 'N Save chains. After investigating its supply chain with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for more than a year, the company set down a goal last week to purchase 100 percent of its top 20 wild-caught seafood from fisheries following sustainable practices by 2015.

Fisheries will meet that criteria is they are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, being assessed for certification or working with the WWF to improve their operations. Research by Supervalu and WWF found that 40 percent of the 20 seafood products already come from fisheries that are certified or being assessed.

"We will primarily be working with our current suppliers," said Supervalu spokesperson Mike Siemienas. Many suppliers are already working on getting certified, but he added that the company could consider adding new, certified suppliers if they're needed to meet the goal.

Supervalu, in setting sustainable seafood plans, joins the likes of big chains like Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's, Costco and Delhaize America, and food service companies Sodexo and Compass Group USA, some of whom WWF has worked with.

The nonprofit teamed up with Walmart when it set a goal in 2006 to source all wild-caught and frozen fish from MSC-certified fisheries by sometime between 2009 and 2011.

"That obviously created a lot of momentum in the industry," said Meredith Lopuch, director of the WWF fishery team's major buyer initiative.

In the ensuing years, Walmart changed the goal, expanding it to include all seafood and accepting fisheries also certified to Best Aquaculture Practices or equivalent standards, but setting no new goal date. In its latest environmental report, released in April, Walmart said 73 percent of its wild and farmed seafood comes from certified sources.

When working with grocery chains, WWF helps them take a deep look into their supply chain to figure out what seafood is coming from what sources. "Supply chains get very complicated, very convoluted," Lopuch said. "For a retailer who is working primarily with their direct supplier, they may not know the exact path that the seafood takes."

That investigation also helps set expectations and goals. "They know what they are getting themselves into," Lopuch said.

When working with companies, WWF focuses foremost on converting fisheries to sustainable practices instead of simply switching to certified sources. "Getting engaged with fisheries they are currently sourcing from is really the way to make conservation change," Lopuch said. "We want our partners via their supply chain to get engaged with those fisheries and utilizing that buying power."

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