Developing an ethical aquaculture food index for international food trade

A.S. Haugen; M. Kaiser

Developing an ethical aquaculture food index for international food trade

In: Ethical futures: bioscience and food horizons

Authors:

A.S. Haugen

A.S. Haugen ¹Telemark University College, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, Bø, Norway; arnes@entri.no

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and

M. Kaiser

M. Kaiser ²University of Bergen, Centre for the Study of the Sciences and Humanities, Bergen, Norway

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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 52–57

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.3920/9789086866731_008

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Aquaculture products make up the fastest growing food sector world-wide. Production and trade is truly international, and markets are diverse. Expectations from European consumers are comprehensive, covering not only product quality, but also issues like traceability and sustainable production methods. So-called political consumerism provides for a diversification of market segments where fair trade and ethical issues play a role. In its trade with aquaculture producing countries, mainly countries in Asia, Europe faces a challenge in spelling out what these expectations amount to and how to measure them. In particular the expectations relating to ethical issues in aquaculture production and trade are far from clear. How to specify common standards is a challenge. In this paper the authors present the initial work plan to develop an ethical aquaculture food index (EAFI) as part of a larger EC funded project on Sustaining Ethical Aquaculture Trade (SEAT; coordinated by the University of Stirling). An initial overview over existing ethical guidelines and standards, such as the FAO Guidelines for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, will provide the background for working out possible candidates and constraints for such an EAFI. Participatory stakeholder processes in Europe and four Asian countries will probe deeper into a realistic set of possible index standards. Who the relevant stakeholders are is in itself a challenging question. To some extent the ethical matrix will serve as a tool to facilitate these processes. The pros and cons of voluntary versus mandatory ethical certification schemes need to be assessed, and it is far from clear which is a realistic and promising choice. The project aims at a more holistic, evidence-based perspective to the fundamental research question: what constitutes ‘fair and sustainable’ trade? Post harvest impacts, socio-economic dependencies (especially of smaller value chain actors) and consumer understanding are key areas which can augment the principle standards and certification schemes currently available for aquatic products, many with singular emphasis on biologically-based resource management assessments of sustainability. The final result will be tested for policy relevance through a Delphi process.

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Ethical futures: bioscience and food horizons

E-Book ISBN:: 9789086866731

Publisher:: Wageningen Academic

Print Publication Date:: 30 Oct 2009

Subjects
- Life Sciences

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Developing an ethical aquaculture food index for international food trade

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Ethical futures: bioscience and food horizons

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