Fair Trade Writes New Chapter in Story of Tuna

Feb 20, 2015 2:45 PM ET
Campaign: Fair Trade Seafood

National Geographic Voices

Tuna is the second most popular seafood in the United States, yet for most Americans, it’s a non-descript protein puck that inevitably gets mixed with mayonnaise and celery. Maybe the tuna in that can came from the Philippines, or Micronesia? Perhaps it was caught by a Japanese vessel and transferred to a processing plant in Thailand before making its way to your local supermarket. Maybe it was hooked on a longline or scooped up in a purse seine? Who knows?

In March, there will be a new type of tuna available that comes with a much different pedigree. That’s because Safeway and Fair Trade USA just announced a partnership to bring the first-ever Fair Trade Certified™ wild fish to the North American market. You may know Fair Trade from their work in coffee or chocolate, and with yesterday’s announcement, handline-caught yellowfin from the Maluku Island chain of Indonesia is now part of their ever-expanding product portfolio.

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