Panasonic's Continuous Sustainable Seafood Efforts in Its Corporate Cafeterias Win "Japan Sustainable Seafood Award" Champion

Tokyo, Japan - On November 7, 2019, Panasonic's efforts to transform consumer behavior and contribute to the achievement of SDGs (*1) by promoting sustainable seafood in its corporate cafeterias won the Initiative Award Champion at the inaugural "Japan Sustainable Seafood Award" during the Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Symposium 2019.

The Japan Sustainable Seafood Award is given to people, organizations, and projects that contribute to the promotion of sustainable seafood and enhance the sustainability of the fisheries industry in Japan, and is comprised of the Initiative and Collaboration Award categories. Panasonic's project was selected as one of the finalists for the Initiative Award and ultimately awarded as the Champion.

From March 2018, Panasonic has been serving MSC, ASC certified (*2) sustainable seafood in its cafeterias. MSC and ASC certifications are the only 2 certifications recognized by WWF, and Panasonic became the first company to continuously serve such sustainable seafood in its corporate cafeterias. As of November 20, 2019, sustainable seafood has been adopted at 27 cafeterias, and by the end of FY2020, Panasonic is aiming to serve sustainable seafood in approximately 100 corporate cafeterias in Japan.

Panasonic became the Champion for taking the initiative to adopt sustainable seafood in its corporate cafeterias and for promoting CoC (*3) certification among the food service industry. Its efforts were also highly recognized because of the significant social impact it can have through its numerous employees and for the know-how it has provided to other companies.

Through these efforts, Panasonic will continue to contribute to achieving SDGs by enhancing awareness for sustainable seafood and by changing consumer behavior. More specifically, through its activities in corporate cafeterias, Panasonic will communicate to its employees the critical situation of fishery resources, and augment employee awareness for MSC and ASC certification, so that they will change their consumer behavior and begin choosing sustainable seafood even outside their workplace.

*1 SDGs refer to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development comprised of 17 Sustainability Development Goals unanimously adopted at the United Nations in 2015. This initiative specifically addresses Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

*2 MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certifies sustainable and appropriately managed fisheries, while ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) certifies responsible aquaculture practices that minimize harm to the environment and society. In both cases, products and suppliers are audited against stringent standards by a third-party certifying organization.

*3 Abbreviation for Chain of Custody, which refers to processing and distribution control. It is a system that ensures the traceability of products by following the route they have taken in their distribution and processing in order to prevent contamination of uncertified seafood into certified seafood.

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