Sea of Distress 2017: The Foodservice Industry, Ocean Health, and Seafood Workers

Report ranks foodservice companies on their efforts to protect our oceans and seafood workers

by David Pinsky

October 24, 2017

Greenpeace’s Sea of Distress 2017 report evaluates and ranks 15 major U.S. foodservice companies on their commitments to sustainable seafood. How does your foodservice provider score?  

Click here to download Sea of Distress 2017, Greenpeace’s second assessment of foodservice companies that feed millions of people every day who dine outside the home.

Unfamiliar to many, companies like Sysco, US Foods, Performance Food Group, Compass Group, Aramark, and Sodexo work to feed people in K-12 to university cafeterias, corporate dining halls, restaurants, sports arenas, amusement parks, hospitals, and home. These companies provide food and services for many clients from Google to Disney World, Burger King, Kennedy Space Center, Yosemite National Park, Florida State University, Hilton Hotels, and the Super Bowl.

This report identifies which major foodservice companies are leaders in responsible seafood and which are failing. While there are some improvements underway, several foodservice companies are still failing to provide responsible seafood.

Sodexo, Aramark, and Compass Group ranked highest yet again because of their focus on sustainable seafood, increasing their lead over the worst performers Maines Paper & Food Service, Shamrock Foods, and Elior North America. Each of the remaining nine profiled companies failed, including Sysco, US Foods, Gordon Food Service and Reinhart Foodservice. Performance Food Group overtook its competitor Sysco for fourth place and is close to receiving a passing score, while Centerplate and Delaware North are slowly improving as they devote more resources to responsible seafood.

Applauding industry leaders and exposing those lagging behind is key to getting foodservice companies to take responsibility to help protect our oceans and the people who depend on them.

Is the company providing food at your school, workplace, or favorite restaurant selling sustainable seafood? Learn more in Sea of Distress 2017.

 

The 2016 edition of Sea of Distress is available here.

David Pinsky

By David Pinsky

David authors Greenpeace USA’s annual seafood sustainability report for the nation’s largest supermarkets, holding major companies accountable and shifting seafood practices that have global impacts on our oceans.

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