Hy-Vee Recognizes National Seafood Month, Begins Offering Fair Trade Certified Fresh and Frozen Scallops

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (Oct. 4, 2017) —Today, Hy-Vee, Inc. announced it will offer Fair Trade Certified™ fresh and frozen scallops in all 245 of its stores, making it the first Midwest retailer to do so. The world’s first domestically-sourced Fair Trade seafood will begin hitting Hy-Vee shelves this month in conjunction with National Seafood Month, a time to highlight smart seafood choices, sustainable fishing practices, and the health benefits of eating a diet rich in seafood. Hy-Vee plans to convert all of its scallop offerings to Fair Trade as additional supply becomes available.

Caught in the cold waters off the coast of New England, the scallops are world-renowned for their texture, color and flavor, and offer shoppers a unique opportunity to support American fishing communities and Fair Trade practices in a single purchase.

“Hy-Vee continues to work toward providing the very best in seafood for our Midwest customers,” said Brett Bremser, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Hy-Vee. “Providing Fair Trade scallops gives our customers confidence that the scallops they enjoy from Hy-Vee were sourced responsibly.”

Hy-Vee is partnering with Fair Trade USA, a nonprofit organization and the leading certifier of Fair Trade products in North America, to expand its Fair Trade seafood offerings. The Fair Trade Certified™ seal recognizes best-in-class seafood companies for their commitment to sourcing ethical seafood. As part of Hy-Vee’s partnership with Fair Trade USA, it is working to build more resilient livelihoods in fishing communities, improved working and living conditions, increased supply and demand for responsibly sourced seafood, and enhanced environmental stewardship and ecosystem protection.

“Fair Trade is all about empowering the people behind our favorite products,” said Julie Kuchepatov, director of seafood at Fair Trade USA. “Thanks to Hy-Vee’s scallop offerings, Hy-Vee customers can extend these benefits to U.S. fishermen every time they shop.”

Fair Trade USA’s seafood program is the first of its kind to address both social and environmental challenges in the seafood sector. Standards for marine resources ensure that fisheries are managed legally and responsibly, preventing further overfishing. At the same time, social and human rights standards empower fishermen with better working conditions, improved terms of trade and additional income to invest in their businesses and communities.

The news follows Hy-Vee’s announcement in March that it transitioned 100 percent of its service case yellowfin tuna to Fair Trade certified sources as part of its Seafood Procurement Policy. The policy was developed in partnership with FishWise, a nonprofit sustainable seafood consultancy that promotes the health and recovery of ecosystems through environmentally and socially responsible business practices.