Sea Delight: Making a Splash with Sustainability in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Ecuador

By: Alexandra Kueller

Sustainability is spreading rapidly across industries all over the world. Multiple quality example can be found in Sea Delight’s programs in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Ecuador. We want to share the highlights and details of these programs with everyone in Strategic Sustainability’s community for the sake of education and perhaps a model to use in your own business.

Sea Delight partnered with FishWise in 2012 to support Sea Delight’s new sustainable seafood program of Fishery Improvement Projects (“FIPs”).  Now two-thirds of Sea Delights inventory comes from fisheries involved with FIPs. Bravo!

FIPs aim to improve the environmental, economic, and social aspects of fishermen/fisherwomen, their workplaces, and their communities. One of Sea Delight’s specific goals is to help make fishing communities around the world more sustainable so that the supply of seafood is continuous and plentiful.

In 2013 FishWise carried out extensive research on five fisheries that Sea Delight wanted to make more sustainable. The fisheries, located in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Ecuador, needed to become as sustainable as possible and perhaps achieve certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (“MSC”). 

Taken from their 2013 annual report, here are the updates and highlights on Sea Delight’s 5 FIPs:

1)    Indonesia - Tuna

The FIP started in 2010 and the goal is to be MSC certified by 2020

  • Working with government officials in 2013, Sea Delight was able to help train fishermen on the proper ways to use the log book, collect data, and the proper circle-hook technique
  • Additionally, Sea Delight has achieved successful implementation of FIPs with suppliers
  • With Sea Delight investing in FIPs for 2013, another highlights was that Sea Delight was able to register all the fishing vessels they use in Indonesia
  • Full membership was accomplished with Seafood Savers* (Ali can you insert a footnote and give a brief description of what Seafood Savers does- this will give us another group to market the article to), adding to the list of other organizations and stakeholders, including World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), and Indonesian Tuna Commission
  • Fishermen are now trained on how to reduce catch of non-target species and the incorrect hooks were donated
  • Next steps include assisting the government in valuing the importance of enforcement, increase the supply chain transparency, and beginning stock assessments

2)    Indonesia - Snapper & Grouper

The FIP started in 2010 and the MSC certification date is still to be determined

  • Sea Delight worked to eliminate harmful practices, which includes cyanide and dynamite fishing, trading endangered species
  • Became a full member of Seafood Savers, in addition to WWF, MMAF, Provincial Fishery Department
  • Pilot projects to improve data collection, initiate illegal fishing surveillance, and improve data collection were launched
  • Next steps in this FIP include introducing MMAF logbooks to fishermen, developing a management plan for snapper and grouper in Banggai

3)    Vietnam - Tuna

The FIP started in 2012 and the goal is to be MSC certified by 2019

  • Stakeholders agreed to pursue a formalized FIP and a FIP Action Plan was finalized
  • FIP partnership agreement began
  • Transitioning to meet the Conservation Alliance’s definition of a comprehensive FIP
  • Next steps include providing input and feedback to the FIP coordination unit, working with the FIP coordination unit to support traceability measures, cooperating with any audits of the supply chain

4)    Vietnam  - Snapper & Grouper

The FIP started in 2011 and the MSC certification date is still to be determined

  • Fishery observer trips were conducted to collect length and weight data on catch composition
  • A Trace Register traceability system was implemented
  • Does not yet meet the Conservation Alliance’s definition of a basic FIP
  • Next steps include the continuation of data collection, compiling and analyzing the data, establish a formalized FIP

5)    Ecuador - Mahi

The FIP started in 2009 and the MSC certification date is still to be determined

  • Developing a traceability plan to Sea Delight’s supply chain and assistance from the Ecuadorian government and WWF
  • Attended a stakeholder meeting to explore opportunities to support the FIP
  • Implemented a billback program to help develop a traceable supply chain
  • Next steps include continuing work with WWF to establish a supply chain traceability program, procuring and supplying circle hooks to the local fishermen, providing stakeholder input when and where possible

What we noticed

The Sea Delight 2013 Annual report shows a strong effort to improve sustainability in these countries. Moreover, their efforts are creating sustainability achievements and progress. The report on these 5 FIPs is filled with nuggets of information and provides excellent detail. However, the report isn’t the most user-friendly out there. The text is organized in an outline format with only a few pictures to break everything up. Don’t be discouraged, though, there is great information in the report!

The ocean is just one of many areas that sustainability can focus on, and it is an area that is also hard-hit by climate change. Here is a blog post about climate change is affecting everything around us.

The Sustainability of Athletic Wear Brands’ Supply Chain

By: Alexandra Kueller

Two weeks ago we introduced SSC’s latest peer benchmarking analysis, and last week we introduced an in-depth look at three of the six dimensions – governance, environment, and workplace – that we analyzed during our process. This week we will finish our analysis of each dimension with today’s focus being on supply chain.

In order to have a sustainable supply chain, a company must analyze its supply chain in terms of environment, risk, and waste costs. As sustainable supply chains become more crucial to companies, the notion of long-term profitability has taken center stage. What SSC looks for in our peer benchmarking process is that the supply chain is focused on four categories: materials stewardship, green purchasing, social standards, and supplier engagement.

Overview of the Supply Chain Dimension

Points

  • Nike – 14
  • Adidas – 21
  • Puma – 17
  • Lululemon – 14
  • Under Armour – 5

The supply chain dimension is strong overall with each company recording points in the three of the four categories: social standards, supplier engagement, and materials stewardship. While green purchasing is a major theme for many companies, it is not highlighted and requires substantial website searching to find a policy.

Materials Stewardship

All five companies address materials stewardship, with Nike, Adidas, Puma, and Lululemon leading the way. Under Armour briefly mentions a materials stewardship policy. The four leading companies in this category do an excellent job with stating a clear policy on materials stewardship and all have at least one supporting program to back up the policy. Nike, Adidas, and Puma also supply some data on materials stewardship, which is also included in their sustainability reports.

Green Purchasing

The category of green purchasing was an interesting one. It is evident that all the companies are striving to make their products as sustainable as possible, but finding information to verify those claims is difficult. Excessive clicking through these companies’ websites reveals that Nike, Adidas, Puma, and Lululemon address green purchasing. Every company has at least one policy on the subject and a program as well, but the details aren’t always readily available.

Social Standards

Social standards are a strong category for many companies. Two companies – Adidas and Puma – received top points in this category.  Nike was not too far behind, but they do not provide as detailed performance data like Adidas and Puma. Lululemon and Under Armour both scored some points as well in the social standards category, but only due to a strong policy. Meanwhile these two companies lack examples of programs or data.

Supplier Engagement

As far as categories are concerned Adidas once again scored top points, but this time coming from supplier engagement. Puma and Lululemon are not far behind Adidas, but they both lack any sort of performance data. Nike and Under Armour received the lowest amount of points since Nike only has a brief policy mention and a supporting program. Under Armour only has one strong policy.

Click here to catch up on the governance dimension, environment dimension, workplace dimension, community dimension, and product dimension.


How to Choose Case Studies for Your Corporate Sustainability Report

Here is a blog post from 2012 that we thought is still full of great information, and we wanted to share it again! Enjoy:

Let's be honest, sustainability reports can be...dry. Simply reporting facts and figures will make even the most stalwart reader begin to yawn. To combat reader fatigue, it's critical that your sustainability report tell a story. Here are some of the stories that your report might tell:

  • A scrappy entrepreneur starts up his new company by building sustainability into the core of business operations.        
  • A company grapples with worldwide economic uncertainty and struggles to understand what sustainability *really* means to its decision-making processes.        
  • A company commits to achieving true sustainability based on eco-system accounting, and measures for the first time its contextual impact on the natural world.        

Using your sustainability report to tell a story is an advanced practice -- many organizations can't identify their story, let alone talk about it publicly. (This is where the help of a sustainability consultant can help!) It's not completely an either/or proposition, however.

One easy way to begin the storytelling process is through the use of case studies -- a short "snapshot" that doesn't have to neatly fit into the rest of the reporting format. So if your organization is most comfortable following the standard (and often boring) format of the Global Reporting Initiatives, there is still an opportunity to add a bit of flash and interest through the use of strategically placed case studies.

But how do you choose a good case study? We've pulled examples from our 2011 Sustainability Report to demonstrate some of the options:

EXPLORE A THIRD PARTY STANDARD AND ITS IMPACT

Chances are good that your organization is using a third-party standard or guideline in your sustainability work. If you are a manufacturer, you may be using the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems. If you are a bank, you may be using the IFC Performance Standards. You might belong to the UN Global Compact, or use the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprise, or apply the Global Reporting Initiative's Sustainability Reporting Guidelines to your sustainability report. Choose one, and share what it means for your organization.

TALK ABOUT AN ORGANIZATION THAT YOU SUPPORT

Most organizations have some sort of charitable giving, employee volunteerism, or in-kind support. Rather than just reporting on the total dollars donated, why not share a little bit about one of the organizations or causes that you support? Pro tip: have one of your employees write the case study (e.g. "Why I Volunteer") -- or have the organization you support write the case study (e.g. "Why The Hotel Company is an Important Supporter of Domestic Violence Prevention").

WRITE ABOUT YOUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

It's a secret among sustainability professionals that the REAL audience for your sustainability report is your employees. (Ask first-time reporters where the unexpected benefit was and they will nearly all say that it was a boost in employee morale and engagement.) Why not take an opportunity to highlight one of your workforce programs?

HIGHLIGHT ONE OF YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

While a sustainability report generally includes a high-level overview of the work that your organization does, most reports don't take the time to dive deeply into specifics. But if you offer a particular product or service that has a positive sustainability impact (or has been improved to reduce its negative environmental impact), take the opportunity to explore it in more detail through a case study. If you can quantify the impacts, all the better!

Remember: a case study doesn't necessary need to be tied to a particular sustainability metric. Instead, think of a case study as a sneak peek for readers, a glimpse into the stories of sustainability that make your journey meaningful.

Be sure to check out all of SSC's case studies here!