Nick Fetty | February 10, 2016

Hy-Vee Inc. announced this month that it has met its goal of procuring 100 percent of its seafood from environmentally responsible producers.

The Midwestern grocery store chain – which has more than 230 stores in eight states – set the goal in 2011 to procure 100 percent of its seafood from environmentally sustainable sources by 2015. As of December of 2015, “100% of Hy-Vee’s fresh and private label frozen seafood met the goal of being responsibly sourced.”

For this initiative, Hy-Vee partnered with FishWise, an environmental nonprofit that promotes the health and recovery of ocean ecosystems and the people that depend on them through environmentally and socially responsible business practices. Together the two entities have transitioned nearly 5 million pounds of seafood to responsible sources.

Seafood purchased is rated as Green ‘Best Choice’ or a Yellow ‘Good Alternative’ according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.

Responsible sourcing of seafood is just part of Hy-Vee’s commitment to sustainability which also includes efficient store design, energy and resources conservation, and waste reduction and recycling efforts.

Hy-Vee was founded in Beaconsfield, Iowa in 1930. Today the employee-owned company is headquartered in West Des Moines and has more than 140 stores across the Hawkeye State.