Would You Dump Trader Joe’s?

In the previous post, Greenpeace & Trader Joe’s Throw Down, we looked at what’s been happening related to Greenpeace, Trader Joe’s, and our oceans and fish.

The post got sort of long so I didn’t give my opinion, which is…

I do like Trader Joe’s and I really like Greenpeace. One thing making me uneasy about this whole situation though is the fact that Greenpeace notes, “Of the 20 largest supermarket chains in the United States, nine have made no visible effort to increase the sustainability of their seafood operations and continue to ignore scientific warnings about the crisis facing global fisheries and the marine environment. These include: Aldi, Costco, Giant Eagle, H.E.B., Meijer, Price Chopper, Publix, Trader Joe’s, and Winn Dixie.” So other major supermarkets also aren’t doing well on the fishy front, but the attack seems to be mainly been focused on Trader Joe’s.

Partially I get this because Trader Joe’s, unlike some other stores on the list, tends to spout off about the advantages of better food at their stores and on their website – i.e. organics, genetically engineered crops, cage-free eggs, and so on. That makes you think they’d take this whole sustainable fish issue more seriously than other stores on the list.

Another reason Greenpeace may be focusing so much attention on Trader Joe’s is because they’ve done so before (regarding genetically modified foods) with positive results. This is actually a score for Trader Joe’s because it shows they’re listening to the issues and are willing at least to make changes. The same can’t be said for all other stores.

We’ll see how this all pans out – maybe Trader Joe’s will cave to the pressure and only offer sustainable seafood (good for humans, the oceans, and the store). I’m hoping so, because I like them overall, and would like to continue shopping there. Maybe Greenpeace will focus their attention on another store for a while, I mean there are lots of baddies on the new scorecard not just Trader Joe’s.

If you’re looking to buy sustainable fish without a big old hassle read: How to choose eco-friendly seafood

If you want to learn more about why saving our oceans and protecting our fish matter visit the Greenpeace oceans issues section of their website.

You tell me, will you dump Trader Joe’s if they don’t ban unsustainable seafood?