November 6, 2019

CP Foods maintains support of legal sourcing for sustainable seafood production

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL (CP Foods) maintains that all the fishmeal it uses are made through legal practices and from traceable sources, the company said in late-October.

Dr. Sujint Thammasart, chief operating officer of CP Foods' Aquaculture Business, said all CP Foods' seafood operations in Thailand and overseas have integrated UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their businesses with social responsibility, environmental footprint and traceability taken heed of throughout supply chain.

In response to consumer demand for sustainable products, CP Foods has proceeded with the Fisheries Improvement Projects or FIPs, which were developed to promote sustainable fisheries and protect marine resources throughout international and Thai maritime regions.

The company has also established the CP Food Fishmeal Sourcing Restrictions to guide its aquaculture operations. It aimed to ensure that all affected areas are working under a single standard for sustainable sourcing of marine ingredients.

Under the restrictions, CP Foods commits to use by-product fishmeal that is traceable and sourced from processing plants certified by Global Standard for Responsible Supply (IFFO RS), which is consistent with the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

For by-catch fishmeal, CP Foods commits to source the ingredients from fisheries which have been certified according to international standards or legally examined by various parties that include officials and representatives of the Department of Fisheries, concerned operators, academics and consumers.

At present, 100% of fishmeal sourced and used for CP Foods' Thai operations are extracted from the by-product of fish processing and certified by the IFFO RS.

For CP Food's overseas operations, its operation in India has collaborated with fishery societies, seafood companies and the Indian government to establish the country's first-ever FIP accepted onto the IFFO RS Improver Programme (IFFO RS IP), which is now ready for implementation.

The developed fisheries action plan will push for more assessment of marine stocks in the west coast of India in an effort to prevent overfishing. Under the programme, the company will arrange training courses for partners in the supply chain, including fishmeal producers and fishermen, to guide them through sustainable practices.

For its Vietnam operation, CP Vietnam Corporation is driving a pilot programme for a FIP in Baria-Vung Tau province, together with fishmeal processors and feedmill producers in the area.

In collaboration with IFFO RS, the pilot programme will be an important input to the development of assessment criteria for mixed trawl fisheries, which are unique in the Southeast Asian region. Currently, CP Foods is in process of drafting a Fishery Action Plan (FAP) and expect to submit the plan to IFFO RS in early of 2020.

Dr. Sujint added that the company operations both in India and Vietnam implemented FIPs practices that are prototypes. To achieve the peak of sustainable development, the model need to be expanded its scope to other coastal areas across the countries. Therefore, it requires all sectors in seafood supply chains to cooperate and push forth the FIPs, creating a significant change throughout the seafood supply chain.

"It is important to note that CP Foods is a buyer of fishmeal and producer of farmed shrimp as well as shrimp feed; we have never been an operator nor owner of any fishing vessel, and we do not produce fishmeal. However, CP Foods has a clear policy to make all of its operations worldwide operate in accordance to international standards in an effort to prevent IUU and promote sustainable supply chain," Dr. Sunjint added.

CP Foods also collaborates with Seafood Task Force in Thailand and international organisations such as Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS) to crack down on illegal fishing as well as providing human rights protection for the fishermen.

- CP Foods