Whole Foods Market sets sustainable seafood standards
Whole Foods Market is strengthening its commitment to ethical labor practices and transparency in its seafood supply chain.
The natural and organic foods grocer, which is a subsidiary of Amazon, is releasing a new Seafood Code of Conduct it says reinforces its “commitment to safeguard the human rights and welfare of workers throughout its global seafood supply chain.”
The code of conduct draws from global ethical principles including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Work in Fishing Convention and establishes standards that all seafood suppliers — from vessel owners to processors and distributors — are expected to follow.
These new standards build on the broader Whole Foods Market Supplier Code of Conduct and are part of what the company says is its long-term mission to promote social responsibility and continuous improvement in its supply chain.
[READ MORE: Whole Foods Market protecting pollinators in its supply chain]
Key provisions
The new Whole Foods Market Seafood Code of Conduct applies to fresh, frozen, and canned seafood suppliers, which includes sushi, and includes commitments across key areas such as:
- Maximum working hours and time at sea: Aligns work and rest hours with ILO Fishing Convention standards and establishes that all fishing vessels must visit port every 11 months.
- Ethical recruitment: Prohibits recruitment fees and mandates clear, fair employment contracts.
- Communication access for crew members: Mandates crew access to communication channels while at sea to contact family, non-government organizations, and worker representatives, and calls for vessels to prioritize installing Wi-Fi.
- Health and safety on vessels: Requires safety training, personal protective equipment, medical care, and sufficient food and water for all crew members.
Most recently, Whole Foods Market worked with Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch urging the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) to adopt stronger labor protections, including the use of electronic monitoring (EM) for vessel activity, measures to enhance crew welfare, and science-based targets for tuna stock management.
"Leading with purpose has always been at the heart of Whole Foods Market, and our new Seafood Code of Conduct is an extension of that commitment," said Jason Buechel, CEO of Whole Foods Market. "This isn’t just a one-time announcement — it’s an ongoing effort to raise the industry standard for human rights, responsible sourcing, and supply chain transparency. Working together with our industry peers, we can create a fairer, safer, and more ethical seafood industry for everyone."
Get more information on the Whole Foods Seafood Code of Conduct.
Albertsons, Walmart join tuna sustainability effort
Albertsons Companies and Walmart Inc. are also active in promoting sustainable and ethical seafood supply chain practices. In 2024, the retailers were both among the first signatories to a new pledge to ensure sustainable and legal tuna fishing.
The grocery conglomerate and discount giant, along with global seafood company Thai Union and the governments of Belize and the Federated States of Micronesia, all signed the Tuna Transparency Pledge from environmental non-profit The Nature Conservancy.
The pledge is a global initiative aiming to unite participants throughout the tuna supply chain to achieve 100% on-the-water monitoring on all industrial tuna vessels by 2027.
Walmart and Sam’s Club first instituted a requirement for all seafood suppliers to have 100% observer monitoring and other safeguards in place by 2027 back in June 2023.
Meanwhile, Albertsons launched a program to reduce waste of seafood and other fresh produce with predictive analytics in November 2023.
Founded in 1980, Austin-based Whole Foods Market is the first certified organic national grocer in the U.S. Part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, Whole Foods Market operates more than 530 stores across the U.S., Canada and the U.K.