Dramatic increase in consumer spend on sustainable seafood, despite economic downturn

British and Dutch consumers are increasingly committed to buying sustainable seafood products even in difficult financial times. Independent research shows a 154% increase in consumer spend on sustainable seafood in the UK, and a 50% increase in the Netherlands, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to MSC.
UK: Sustainable seafood out-performs other green goods

Despite just 1% growth in overall household expenditure between 2007 and 2009, the sustainable seafood sector flourished, with UK spend on sustainable seafood reaching £178 million over the same period.

The UK's Co-operative Bank Ethical Consumerism 2010 Report shows that overall and throughout the recession, there has been growing support by British consumers for green goods and services - an 18% increase in total spend between 2007 and 2009.  Ethical and environmentally friendly food and drinks is one of the fastest growing sectors within the category (27% over the last two years) but across all services and goods the market for sustainable seafood is one of the key drivers of the overall growth.
The Netherlands: MSC label boosting growth

In a separate survey on food and sustainability carried out by Platform Verduurzaming Voedsel and LEI in the Netherlands, researchers found that spend on sustainable-labelled wild-caught seafood increased by 50% in the first six months of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. Of that expenditure, over two-thirds comes from products carrying the MSC ecolabel for certified sustainable seafood.

In the first half of 2010, overall food expenditure in the Netherlands increased by just 1.4% while consumer expenditure on sustainable and ecolabelled food increased by 25.5%. However, the leap in revenue from sustainable seafood - from €39 to 59 million, makes it one of the fastest moving sectors in the Netherlands.
Consumers holding on to their values

Nicolas Guichoux, Regional Director for Europe at the Marine Stewardship Council, welcomed the latest evidence about consumer spending on certified sustainable seafood, and said: "We are seeing the same levels of growth in other European markets and the support for MSC labelled products is a testament to shoppers' desire to reward fisheries prepared to demonstrate they are fishing sustainably. In one of the most difficult economic years on record, consumers are holding on to their values and are not turning their backs on ethical considerations. Both the UK and Dutch surveys show that the transformation of the seafood market is not a fair weather trend and is here to stay."
The Ethical Consumerism 2010 Report

The Ethical Consumerism 2010 Report was produced by the Co-operative Bank with additional research by the Ethical Consumer Research Association. The report has been produced since 1999 and acts as a barometer of ethical spending in the UK. In this report, ethical consumerism is defined as personal allocation of funds, including consumption and investment, where choice has been informed by a particular issue - be it human rights, social justice, the environment or animal welfare. For more information, please visit: http://www.goodwithmoney.co.uk/ethical-consumerism-report-2010
About Platform Verduurzaming Voedsel (Alliance for Sustainable Food)

The Southern Agricultural and Horticultural Organization ( ZLTO ), the Dutch Food Industry Federation ( FNLI ), the Central Bureau of Food Trade ( CBL ), the Association of Dutch Catering Organisations ( Veneca ) and the Koninklijke Horeca Netherlands ( KHN ) signed with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality ( LNV ) on October 28, 2009 a cooperation agreement for the establishment of the Platform Verduurzaming Voedsel (Alliance for Sustainable Food). In this effort they shared platform for accelerating the sustainability of the food chain. The Platform is leading to both the preservation of the business in the food chain and on the expansion of sales of the existing range of sustainable food and the number of products within that range. For more information, please visit: http://www.verduurzamingvoedsel.nl/home/

The Dutch survey was carried out from January until June 2010. It was benchmarked against the results of the first semester of 2009.