WWF South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI): A Case Study on Communicating Food Sustainability Information to Consumers
UNEP, WWF and GlobeScan have developed a series of twelve case studies presenting efforts by companies and labels to communicate food sustainability to consumers. Read on to find out more about WWF South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI), the 4th case study in the series.
About WWF South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI)
In 2004, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and its partner, the South African National Biodiversity Institute, established the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) to inform and educate South African seafood consumers and restaurateurs to make informed seafood choices in an effort to shift the seafood market to become more sustainable. In 2010, SASSI expanded its programme to include the middle actors in the seafood supply chain, i.e. retailers, suppliers and traders to ensure a significant shift in the behaviour of the South African seafood sector towards more sustainable production practices.
SASSI’s objectives
The overarching goal of SASSI is to encourage consumers to choose ‘green’ and buy sustainable seafood to help safeguard ocean and marine resources. By generating consumer demand for sustainable seafood options, raising awareness, and partnering with aquariums, retailers, and restaurants, SASSI aims to influence seafood purchases and the supply of sustainable seafood in South Africa.
SASSI seeks to increase awareness on marine conservation issues, discourage consumers from choosing illegal and unsustainable seafood and guide consumers towards more environmentally-friendly choices. To achieve this, SASSI’s theory of change states that by mobilising consumers, retailers/suppliers will be empowered to make and demand more sustainable seafood. In turn, it promotes sustainable production of marine resources within the fishing industry and drives transformation throughout the seafood supply chain while safeguarding our oceans.
To learn more about SASSI’s approach to communicate food sustainability information to consumers and learn about the challenges and successes, download the full case study here.
Project background
Under the umbrella of the One Planet network Consumer Information Programme, UNEP, WWF and GlobeScan developed a research project to improve our understanding of how the provision of sustainability information can influence consumers’ food choices. This case study is one of twelve case studies showcasing approaches by companies and labels to communicate food sustainability information to consumers. Stay tuned for more articles in the series published every Tuesday and Friday over the coming weeks.
