Foodservice distributor Sysco Corporation is expanding its commitment to improve the sustainability of its seafood procurement practices and standards through 2020, in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The company is pledging to increase its offerings of responsibly-caught Portico and Sysco Brand seafood products to its customers.

Sysco is adding a new commitment to source its top five Sysco Brand aquaculture species from farms that are either certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), in ASC full assessment, in aquaculture improvement projects leading to ASC certification, and/or certified to a minimum two star rating on the Best Aquaculture Practices standards as defined by the Global Aquaculture Alliance.

Sysco will preferentially source ASC-certified product when available, it said.

In addition, it aims to improve tuna sourcing by committing to source Sysco Brand canned and pouched tuna from fisheries that are Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified, in MSC full assessment, in a comprehensive FIP, or showing International Seafood Sustainability Association membership.

The group will also seek to improve seafood traceability within its supply chain and participate in WWF’s Global Dialogue for Seafood Traceability.

This adds to a previous 2015 sustainable seafood commitment with WWF, which led the company to source about 90 percent of its top 10 wild-caught Sysco Brand seafood species groups from fisheries that are certified by the MSC, in MSC full assessment, or engaged in a comprehensive fishery improvement project (FIP).

Already today, all of Sysco’s Portico Brand wild-caught frozen cod, pollock, North American (coldwater) lobster, haddock, salmon, scallops, halibut and flounder come from MSC-certified fisheries.

“These new commitments underscore Sysco’s dedication to increased sourcing from sustainable fisheries, and increasingly enables us to deliver on our customers’ desire for sustainable seafood products,” said Catherine Kayser, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Sysco.

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