Kowalski's Seafood: Now James Beard Foundation Certified
Kowalski's Seafood: Now James Beard Foundation Certified
Shortly after being named the first multi-location retailer in the country to be Certified Humane by Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), Kowalski's also became the first-ever retailer to achieve Leader status in the James Beard Foundation's (JBF) Smart Catch Seafood Sustainability Program. JBF is an industry leader when it comes to sustainability in agriculture and seafood, and Leader status is the highest honor bestowed on Smart Catch program participants. Prior to Kowalski's receiving the award, the program honored only restaurant chefs and seafood suppliers.
"Kowalski's is truly proud to partner with the James Beard Foundation to help support sustainable fishing and seafood farming practices," says Troy Schmeling, Kowalski's Meat & Seafood Director.
Smart Catch is an educational sustainable seafood program created by chefs with the purpose of increasing the sustainability of the seafood supply chain. With more than 90% of the world's fisheries either fully fished or overfished, preserving marine life to assure stable fishing stocks and promoting sustainably farmed options is more important than ever.
The idea for Smart Catch is simple and powerful: the program provides training and support to participants so they can serve seafood – fished or farmed – in environmentally responsible ways. Honorees are charged with using their influence to lead industry efforts to maintain healthy, sustainable food sources both for now and for future generations. By becoming a Smart Catch Leader and earning the Smart Catch seal, Kowalski's gives shoppers a simple way to identify and support these sustainability initiatives.
As a Smart Catch Leader, Kowalski's serves to spotlight the important and complex realms of sustainability, food justice and public health. We hope to raise awareness of these timely issues by celebrating the visionaries responsible for creating a healthier, safer, and more equitable and sustainable food system.
For more information about the Smart Catch program, visit jamesbeard.org/smart-catch.
