Export Packers - SeaChoice

Seafood Progress

Brand's Commitment to Sustainable and Socially Responsible Seafood

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2023 aggregate score

Seafood Progress Average : 66

Score Trend

Increased Since Last Year

NGO Partner

Ocean Wise

Brands profiled

Sustainability Commitment

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Progress Report PDFs

2023

2022

Headquarters

Brampton, Ontario

Seafood Progress: Export Packers

Overview

Commitment to Sustainable Seafood

How committed is Export Packers to sustainable and socially responsible seafood?

	Fresh	Frozen	Shelf
Store brand
Seafood brand
No brand

Summary

94 %

of products sold in 2023 met commitment.

Sustainability Commitment. Export Packers shared with SeaChoice that it is committed to sourcing MSC certified versions of its wild products where possible. For its farmed products, the company sources ASC certified first, and BAP certified products when ASC is not available. The company has not yet set a timeline for achieving these commitments. Export Packers’ first ESG report dated January 2023 states that Export Packers does not sell wild-caught seafood species identified as endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species and does not permit the purchase of seafood acquired through illegal, unreported or unregulated catches. The report also states that the company is working toward the goal of 100% traceability on all seafood products; however, Export Packers reported to SeaChoice that it has not set a deadline for achieving full chain traceability (personal communication, A. Benson, 14/03/2023).

Clear Objectives

Supplier Expectations

Traceability Policy

Reporting on Activities

Social Responsibility. Export Packers informed SeaChoice that it’s Supplier Code of Conduct and overall commitment to social responsibility is based on Canada’s draft Modern Slavery Act, the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the Forced Labour Convention, and the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention (personal communication, A. Benson, 03/04/2023).

Step Scores

1 Commitment on sustainable seafood

Does the grocer have comprehensive seafood commitments?

2 Colecting Data

Does the grocer collect data to support its commitment?

3 Responsible Sourcing

Does the grocer make responsible sourcing decisions?

4 Transparency

Is the grocer transparent about its commitment to sustainable seafood?

5 Education

Does the grocer educate key stakeholders about the importance of its seafood commitments?

6 Supporting System Improvements

Does the grocer take initiative to support improvements to fisheries and aquaculture?

Notes

In the process of developing this profile, SeaChoice corresponded with Andrea Benson, Corporate Director of Marketing, Product Development and Sales at Export Packers.

Step Scores

1 Commitments

Does the brand have comprehensive seafood commitments?

2 Collecting Data

Is the brand collecting data to support its commitment?

3 Responsible Sourcing

Is the brand making responsible sourcing decisions?

4 Transparency

Is the brand transparent about its commitment to sustainable seafood?

5 Education

Does the brand educate key stakeholders about its seafood commitments?

6 Taking Initiative

Does the brand take actions to support improvements to fisheries and aquaculture?

Notes

In the process of developing this profile, SeaChoice corresponded with Andrea Benson, Corporate Director of Marketing, Product Development and Sales at Export Packers.

Step 1: Commitment

1 Commitment

Does the brand have comprehensive seafood commitments?

1.1 The brand has a publicly available commitment on environmentally sustainable seafood.

Export Packers shared with SeaChoice that it is committed to sourcing MSC certified versions of its wild products where possible. For its farmed products, the company sources ASC certified first, and BAP certified products when ASC is not available. The company has not yet set a timeline for achieving these commitments. Export Packers’ first ESG report dated January 2023 states that Export Packers does not sell wild-caught seafood species identified as endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species and does not permit the purchase of seafood acquired through illegal, unreported or unregulated catches. The report also states that the company is working toward the goal of 100% traceability on all seafood products; however, Export Packers reported to SeaChoice that it has not set a deadline for achieving full chain traceability (personal communication, A. Benson, 14/03/2023).

0% No publicly available environmental sustainability commitment.

20% General commitment to environmentally sustainable seafood.

40% Commitment to environmental sustainability that includes clear objectives for sustainable procurement.

60% Commitment to environmental sustainability that includes clear objectives that are supported by references to credible standards (such as Seafood Watch or Ocean Wise ratings, eco-certifications, etc.).

80% Commitment to environmental sustainability that includes clear objectives that are supported by references to credible standards and a full chain traceability policy in place (or a timeline set for implementation) that traces at least the product scientific name, geographic origin, farmed/wild and harvest method.

100% Commitment to environmental sustainability includes clear objectives that are supported by references to credible standards, a full chain traceability policy and a timeline for meeting the commitment (unless the commitment has already been met).

1.2 The brand has a publicly available commitment on socially responsible seafood.

Export Packers informed SeaChoice that it’s Supplier Code of Conduct and overall commitment to social responsibility is based on Canada’s draft Modern Slavery Act, the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the Forced Labour Convention, and the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention (personal communication, A. Benson, 03/04/2023).

0% No publicly available social responsibility commitment.

20% General commitment to socially responsible seafood.

40% Commitment to social responsibility includes with worker driven objectives that are based on credible international standards (The UN’s Guiding Principles, The WBA’s Seafood Stewardship Index, ILO and the UN Declaration).

60% Commitment to social responsibility includes clear objectives and actions or expectations for seafood suppliers.

80% Commitment to social responsibility includes clear objectives, actions or expectations for seafood suppliers, and a clear and effective traceability policy that at least involves tracing data on the existence of an independent trade union or representative worker organization.

100% Commitment to social responsibility includes clear objectives, actions or expectations for seafood suppliers, a clear and effective traceability policy, and the grocer reports publicly on activities to support social responsibility on at least an annual basis.

Step 2: Collecting Data

2 Collecting Data

Is the brand collecting data to support its commitment?

2.1 The brand collects data on scientific name.

Export Packers collects data on scientific name for all its Diamond Harvest and Ocean Jewel products (personal communication, A. Benson, 19/01/2023).

0% Does not collect data (or no information available).

50% Collects data for some products included in the grocer’s commitment.

100% Collects data for all products included in the grocer’s commitment.

2.2 The brand collects data on geographic origin.

Export Packers collects data on geographic origin for all its Diamond Harvest and Ocean Jewel products (personal communication, A. Benson, 19/01/2023).

0% Does not collect data (or no information available).

50% Collects data for some products included in the grocer’s commitment.

100% Collects data for all products included in the grocer’s commitment.

2.3 The brand collects data on whether wild or farmed.

Export Packers collects data on wild or farmed for all its Diamond Harvest and Ocean Jewel products (personal communication, A. Benson, 19/01/2023).

0% Does not collect data (or no information available).

50% Collects data for some products included in the grocer’s commitment.

100% Collects data for all products included in the grocer’s commitment.

2.4 The brand collects data on gear type or farming methods.

Export Packers collects data on wild or farmed for all its Diamond Harvest and Ocean Jewel products (personal communication, A. Benson, 19/01/2023).

0% Does not collect data (or no information available).

50% Collects data for some products included in the grocer’s commitment.

100% Collects data for all products included in the grocer’s commitment.

Step 3: Sourcing

3 Responsible Sourcing

Is the brand making responsible sourcing decisions?

3.1 The brand publishes a clear hierarchy demonstrating its sourcing priorities.

Export Packers publishes a clear hierarchy of sustainability standards demonstrating its sourcing priorities for all products it sells.

0% Does not publish the sustainability standards that it uses to inform its purchasing decisions.

25% Publishes a general list of sustainability standards that it uses to inform its purchasing decisions.

50% Publishes a clear hierarchy of sustainability standards used for sourcing some products, but doesn’t identify the standards it uses to inform its purchasing decisions for other products.

75% Publishes a clear hierarchy of sustainability standards used for sourcing some products, and identifies a general list of sustainability standards that it uses to inform its purchasing decisions for other products.

100% Publishes a clear hierarchy of sustainability standards demonstrating its sourcing priorities for all products it sells.

3.2 The brand has reported on the percentage of seafood sold in the past year that met its sustainability commitment by volume or value.

Export Packers reported to SeaChoice that its 2023 audit results revealed that 93.87% of its Ocean Jewel and Diamond Harvest products combined and by dollar sales were in line with its commitment (personal communication, A. Benson, 16/03/2023).

0% The grocer has not reported on the percentage of seafood sold that met its sustainability commitment (or no information available).

25% Grocer has reported that 25% or more of its seafood sold meets its sustainability commitment.

50% Grocer has reported that 50% or more of its seafood sold meets its sustainability commitment.

75% Grocer has reported that 75% or more of its seafood sold meets its sustainability commitment.

100% Grocer has reported that 100% of its seafood sold meets its sustainability commitment.

3.3 Suppliers are required to agree in writing to uphold the brand's sustainability commitment.

Export Packers’ suppliers are held to its standards through the product specification documents that they sign which state requirements for MSC, ASC and BAP certification (personal communication, A. Benson, 19/01/2023).

0% Suppliers are not required to agree in writing to uphold the terms of the grocer’s commitment.

25% Some suppliers are required to agree in writing to uphold some of the terms of the grocer’s environmental sustainability commitment.

50% All suppliers are required to agree in writing to uphold some of the terms of the grocer’s environmental sustainability commitment.

75% All suppliers are required to agree in writing to uphold all of the terms of the grocer’s environmental sustainability commitment on at least an annual basis.

100% All suppliers are required to agree in writing to uphold all of the terms of the grocer’s environmental sustainability commitment and the grocer actively verifies that this commitment is being upheld on at least an annual basis.

3.4 Suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct to uphold the brand's social responsibility commitment.

Export Packers shared its Supplier Code of Conduct with SeaChoice and relayed that it is based on Canada’s draft Modern Slavery Act, the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the Forced Labour Convention, and the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention (personal communication, A. Benson, 03/04/2023).

0% Suppliers are not required to sign a code of conduct (or no information).

50% All suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct that covers all of the grocer’s social responsibility commitment on at least an annual basis.

100% All suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct that covers all of the grocer’s social responsibility commitment and the grocer actively verifies that this commitment is being upheld by suppliers of high risk products.

Step 4: Transparency

4 Transparency

Is the brand transparent about its commitment to sustainable seafood?

4.1 The brand labels products with the information that allows consumers to make informed decisions.

Export Packers labels some products with geographic origin and as wild but does not label any products with scientific name or gear type or farming method (personal communications, A. Benson, 19/01/2023).

0% The grocer does not label products with the information (or no information available).

50% The grocer labels some products with the information.

75% The grocer labels most products with the information.

100% The grocer labels all products with the information.

4.2 The brand follows best practice guidelines for making environmental claims on its products.

Export Packers uses the MSC, ASC and BAP certification claims on its product labels which include chain of custody to serve as evidence to back up these claims. Export Packers also uses the Ocean Wise endorsement claim on some product labels, but does not make evidence to back up its claims publicly available.

0% The grocer uses self-declared claims on product labels and does not make evidence to back up its claim(s) publicly available.

25% The grocer uses self-declared claims on product labels and makes evidence to back up the claim(s) publicly available.

50% The grocer uses endorsement claims on product labels but does not make the evidence to back up its claim(s) publicly available – – OR – – The grocer uses self-declared claims on product labels that adhere to ISO 14021 Type II guidance and makes evidence to back up the claim(s) publicly available.

75% The grocer uses certification claims as well as endorsement claims and/or self-declared claims that 1) adhere to ISO 14021 Type II guidance and proof of third-party verification on product labels and 2) makes evidence to back up its claim(s) publicly available.

100% The grocer only uses credible certification claims on product labels and includes a chain-of-custody identifier with publicly available evidence to back up its claim(s).

4.3 Key information regarding the brand's products has been made publicly available.

Export Packers published this information through its FishChoice profile. However, this information is outdated so Export Packers is working on updating it (personal communication, A. Benson, 19/01/2023).

0% No information has been made publicly available.

50% Scientific name, geographic origin, gear type or farming method has been made publicly available for some products.

75% Scientific name, geographic origin, gear type OR farming method has been made publicly available for all products.

100% Scientific name, geographic origin, gear type AND farming method has been made publicly available for all products.

4.4 The brand publicly reports how much of its seafood meets its sustainability criteria by volume or value of sales on an annual basis.

Export Packers reported how much of its seafood sold met its commitment by volume through its 2022 Seafood Progress profile and again through its 2023 profile.

0% No public information on how the grocer is doing to meet its commitment.

50% The grocer has at one point reported publicly how much of its seafood sold meets its commitment.

100% The grocer regularly reports publicly how much of its seafood sold meets its commitment by volume or value of sales every year.

Step 5: Education

5 Education

Does the brand educate key stakeholders about its seafood commitments?

5.1 There is a description of the brand's commitments to sustainable and socially responsible seafood on its website.

There is some description of Export Packers’ commitments to sustainability and social responsibility on its website.

0% Training programs not conducted for seafood staff (or no information available).

50% Training programs sometimes conducted or for only some seafood staff.

75% Training programs conducted for all seafood staff, but only once.

100% Training programs regularly conducted for all seafood staff.

5.2 The brand has taken actions to ensure its suppliers are aware of its sustainable seafood commitment.

Export Packers’ suppliers are held to its standards through the product specification documents that they sign which state requirements for MSC, ASC and BAP certification. Furthermore, the company’s procurement team is in continuous contact with its suppliers. Finally, after issuing its new code of conduct and questionairre to suppliers, Export Packers intends to follow-up by hosting webinars to help provide guidance to suppliers around these new documents and processes (personal communication, A. Benson, 19/01/2023).

0% There is no description of the grocer’s commitments in store.

25% There is some description of the grocer’s commitment to sustainability OR social responsibility in store.

50% There is some description of the grocer’s commitment to sustainability AND social responsibility in store.

75% There is a comprehensive description of the grocer’s commitments to sustainability OR social responsibility in store.

100% There is a comprehensive description of the grocer’s commitments to sustainability AND socially responsibility in store.

Step 6: Taking Initiative

6 Taking Initiative

Does the brand take actions to support improvements to fisheries and aquaculture?

6.2 Farmed shrimps and prawns

Export Packers only sources farmed shrimp that is minimum BAP 2 star certified. In 2021, the company provided financial assistance to a startup closed system recirculating shrimp farm system located in Ontario and continues to provide them with distribution, sales and marketing support at no cost (personal communications, A. Benson, 14/03/2023).

Only sells farmed shrimp and prawn products that meet the highest bars for sustainability, i.e. are certified by ASC, BAP 2 star plus, Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or rated Best Choice by Seafood Watch (100 pts).

Conducts outreach to policymakers and/or certifying bodies to advocate for shrimp and prawn farming management to be more environmentally sustainable (20 pts).

Collaborates with other companies pre-competitively to improve shrimp and prawn farming practices (20 pts).

Works with suppliers or producers directly to improve shrimp and prawn farming practices (20 pts).

Preferentially procures shrimp and prawns from sources that are ASC or BAP 2 star plus certified, Recommended by Ocean Wise or Best Choice by Seafood Watch (20 pts).

Prioritizes sourcing products with high levels of social responsibility and/or traceability (20 pts).

6.4 Other species

Export Packers is a member of the squid IUU roundtable through the Sustainable Fisheries Parnership. Additionally, the company preferentially sources MSC and ASC certified products which are traceable through chain of custody (personal communications, A. Benson, 19/01/2023).

Only sells versions of this product that meet the highest bars for sustainability, i.e. are certified by MSC/ASC, Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or rated Best Choice by Seafood Watch (100 pts).

Conducts outreach to policymakers and/or certifying bodies to advocate for harvest or farming method and management to be more environmentally sustainable (20 pts).

Collaborates with other companies pre-competitively to improve fishing or aquaculture practices (20 pts).

Works with suppliers or producers directly to improve fishing or farming practices (20 pts).

Preferentially sources from more sustainable sources that are MSC/ASC certified, Recommended by Ocean Wise or Best Choice by Seafood Watch (20 pts).

Prioritizes sourcing products with high levels of social responsibility and/or traceability (20 pts).

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