As if concerns about what “organic” means weren’t enough, now there’s another food issue for consumers to worry about—whether the fish they buy is sustainable and if they can trust claims about its source. This is an opportunity for food marketers to position themselves as credible sources of information through Web sites, advertising and various other communications.
In his blog, Vocab, Ben Schott of the New York Times identified “bluewashing” as
“The accusation that some purveyors of fish are making misleading claims as to the ‘eco-credentials’ of their wares”
“Campaigns to encourage diners and shoppers to question whether the seafood they buy is sustainable have hit the mainstream, thanks in no small part to The End of the Line, a 2009 documentary about overfishing. However, the advice given to consumers over sustainable seafood is inconsistent at best, and at worst, misleading,” said Nic Fleming in an article for NewScientist magazine.
Fleming quotes Jennifer Jacquet of the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre in Vancouver, Canada, lead author of a study comparing dozens of sustainable seafood initiatives.
“There is simply too much mislabeling, too much misleading information, too many inconsistencies and, so far, too few results.”
The study’s authors fear that the inconsistency and confusion could be exploited to sell products that do not meet rigorous standards. The greenwashing that some companies have employed to falsely boost their eco-credentials “could turn into ‘bluewashing’ today,” they say.
False labeling and the breaching of consumer trust has become such a mainstream issue that various industries are now creating their own terms to label the unethical practices. Green, sustainable, eco-friendly, organic – all are terms that should not be taken for granted and present premium food marketers with an ethical challenge of drawing the line between selling a product and not being honest with consumers.
What do you think marketers of truly organic or sustainable premium food can do to help combat this issue? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Labels: bluewashing, food sourcing, NewScientist Magazine, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady, Vocab blog
