I am sure there are many ways to answer this question but for our company, the answer is simple: Knowledge. We are in the middle of a pandemic. The seafood industry as a whole has been deeply affected in ways we didn’t think were possible and in the process of trying to navigate the new landscape we have seen new and innovative ways to conduct business as well as initiatives to support each other during these unprecedented times.
Today we face COVID-19 virus. Tomorrow it could be the effects of climate change and ocean acidification, etc. and we now experience the potential consequences of market disruptions, food shortages, challenges in supply chains that are caused today by the pandemic and in the future will be a result of the deteriorating health of our oceans.
How do we “Build Back Better” and continue to address seafood sustainability while companies are struggling to simply continue to exist? Our hope is that with this cost-effective Sustainability Seafood Training course and the support from our Seafood Ninja Team, we can get companies started in this journey and take small steps in the right direction. Small changes in how we source seafood can create positive impacts in our oceans, especially when more companies are engaged in this process and are leveraging their purchasing power to generate improvement.
Why create a Sustainable Seafood Training?
For years we’ve seen that there’s a need for a training course that could provide working knowledge about seafood sustainability for companies and sales teams that do not have dedicated sustainability staff. There is undoubtedly a lot of great information and resources being developed by NGOs, but the information can feel overwhelming or too dense. We know that not everyone has the time to research the information, read white papers, or try to figure out what is being asked of them. Seafood has the potential to provide more protein with less environmental impact than current land-based meats so there is a lot of opportunity for engagement in the industry, but currently it is all targeted to the companies that are already part of the movement. There is a great need to get others up to speed and engaged in the conversation and this course can provide clear steps for starting out in sustainability.
Why launch during COVID-19?
With all the closures and the cuts, we have had more time to think about how to create a curriculum that highlights what is needed to jumpstart your journey to sustainability. Each video is between 2-4 minutes (max). If you want to dive-in, additional information and links to existing resources are provided so that you can learn more at your own pace. With everything slowing down, we felt it was the best time for people to learn about sustainable seafood, build the strategy around their products, and be ready to hit the ground running once their business returns to some level of normalcy. Our clients can show up in the market with better products, better story-telling, and an understanding on how to leverage on sustainability to increase their access to market and drive sales.
How is this training different from other programs?
It is really designed to lay the foundation to get you started and guide you through the whole process. Traditional partnerships and consultant work can feel daunting when you are just getting started as well as feeling like a financial stretch when you are new to the sustainability space. This is the main reason why we designed a program that has a fixed cost, is easy to manage if you have limited time for it, and provides customers with lifetime access to modules, updates to the existing information as well as future modules all for the same price in both English and Spanish. Most importantly,the key tothis program is the one-on-one support customers receive. All customers still have to put in the work, but our team will be available to walk them through this process. We can provide feedback and help them connect with other professionals and organizations when they are ready to take their sustainable seafood commitment to the next level.
What’s best for our oceans?
Knowledge. Leveling the playing field and providing access and education to companies that have been overlooked by the movement because they are not within the scope of their programs or have limited resources. We need to create consciousness among all importers and distributors in all markets and work together to achieve improvements on the water.