Adnkronos Milan, March 13 (Adnkronos) – It is a path of “responsibility” that Findus began in 2017 when it announced “the start of a partnership with MSC through the inclusion of the MSC Sustainable Fishing brand on the main references, such as cod fingers and flowers, with the commitment and promise to reach 100% sustainable fishing and sustainable aquaculture by 2025” recalls today in Milan Renato Roca, country manager Italy of Findus speaking at the event '110%: our sustainability path'.
An event organized by the frozen food company to celebrate the milestone achieved.
“In 2025, Findus will have 100% of its fish and seafood products certified for sustainability by MSC for the catch and ASC for the aquaculture”, confirms Roca. Sustainability is part of Findus’ corporate responsibility. “We are a leading company, recognized as such by consumers and commercial partners from large-scale distribution – Roca recalls – We interpret leadership also and above all in terms of responsibility. Sustainability means giving our contribution to making the world a better place to live. It means guaranteeing access, the sustainability of food supplies in the years to come. It means working together with other partners to safeguard the oceans and seas".
"Today we are talking about fish, but our commitment extends to the entire portfolio," he points out. "We have an equally strong program on our other cornerstone, which is agriculture. A program that also extends to the nutritional aspect of food through balanced food choices and to ensuring that our logistical-production operations are also such as to improve performance with respect to the environment and with respect to the consumption and use of resources," says Roca.
Together with its partners, Findus has also developed new initiatives on sustainability. One example is the collaboration with LifeGate with which the company has been working “since 2020 as part of the Fish for food manifesto – says Lajal Andreoletti, LifeGate's environmental projects manager – putting concrete solutions with measurable impact into the water to protect our waters from plastic and microplastic pollution”. Also with LifeGate, a new project will also come to life this spring with the aim of countering the effects of accidental spills of oil and hydrocarbons into the sea “acting immediately for a more sustainable future in defense of our waters, which are so precious and at the heart of the values of the Findus brand”, comments Andreoletti.
During the event, the results of an unpublished research were presented, conducted in collaboration with Consumerismo No Profit, on the evolution over time of the interest and awareness of Italian consumers towards certified food products and the influence of certifications on purchasing choices. The survey showed that "Italian consumers are much more mature and aware than one might think", underlines Luigi Gabriele, president of Consumerismo. For 7 out of 10 Italians, sustainability is an important purchasing driver. The consumer "even in the fish sector is finally approaching the extraordinary awareness of how important it is to carefully check the label and make sure that the product you are purchasing is certified", concludes Gabriele.