Label Mouse says:
They offer a wide range of certifications from fisheries and fleets through to salts, restaurants and even cleaning products. Its a dizzying selection of services and the best place to explore is their own official website which is very transparent with up to date news and staff info but a concerning gap in the annual reports (nothing since 2019/20).
The farmed and wild caught accreditations are similar to the MSC and ASC standards with the added benefit of independent auditing. Friend of the Sea seems to be taking a much wider approach to supporting responsible, sustainable exploitation of the seas to influence a wider range of actors than just their fisheries.
The 'social accountability' side is pretty weak, a ban on child or forced labour (compliance with the ILO), paying 'adequate salaries' (mega vague) and offering 'access' to healthcare. So don't expect much from the human side here.
FOS is a project from the World Sustainability Organization which also runs the Friends of the Earth accreditation programme and range of campaigns. Label Mouse wonders if they're spreading themselves too thin.
They promise:
An international NGO whose mission is to promote environmental conservation.
For wild-caught products they ensure (among other things) that stock is not overexploited, no bycatch of endangered species, no impact on seabed and 'social accountability'
For farmed-caught they ensure no impact of critical habitats, no GMO or growth hormones and compliance with water quality parameters.
Friend of the Sea ensures compliance through yearly audits carried out onsite by independent international certification bodies
There are a lot of food labels out there, but its pretty unclear what they mean.
With the UK leaving the EU we're able to define our own regulations on how our food is produced, the impact on the environment and how the animals involved are cared for. This could be a good or a bad thing. The extra player in the mix is that brands are introducing their own schemes which can appear more eco-friendly than they actually are.
Label Mouse does the research to help you make more informed buying choices. Hope it's useful.
Suggestions and support welcome!
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