Empowering consumers to make informed choices
In the information age, making informed decisions should be straightforward. Consumers need information about sustainability and nutrient values, as well as provenance, and potential risks and benefits of the products they consume. However, when it comes to seafood consumption, the complexities of health benefits, sustainability, and climate impacts create a daunting landscape for consumers. VeriFish, a Horizon Europe funded project, steps in to address this challenge, aiming to streamline the decision-making process by offering a robust framework of verifiable indicators in Europe. By providing clear, standardised information, VeriFish enables consumers, retailers, producers, fishers, policymakers, and citizens to make choices that promote sustainable living. VeriFish will also focus on children as they are the consumers of the future, and their choices matter. This article delves into the intricacies of the VeriFish project, exploring its objectives, innovations, and potential impact on the seafood industry and beyond.
Making choices about seafood is not straightforward
Seafood is a vital component of a balanced diet, offering numerous health benefits, including high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals. Despite its advantages, seafood is often ignored or incorrectly categorised as meat, leading to a lack of recognition of its lower climate impact compared to other protein sources. This misclassification contributes to lower seafood consumption in Europe compared to meat products. Additionally, locally produced seafood often struggles to compete with imported products because consumers are either unaware of or do not sufficiently value the benefits of local seafood.
The solution to this problem is not to simply convince consumers to purchase more seafood. Indeed, both fishing and aquaculture industries generate issues that complicate consumer choices. Overfishing, bycatch, habitat destruction, and climate change are just a few of the problems that the fishing sector faces. Overfishing, driven by high demand and inefficient fishing practices, depletes fish stocks and disrupts marine ecosystems. Bycatch further exacerbates biodiversity loss and threatens the stability of marine ecosystems. Habitat destruction, resulting from activities such as bottom trawling and coastal development, undermines the resilience of marine habitats and compromises their ability to support biodiversity. While aquaculture has the potential to relieve pressure on wild fish stocks, it is also not without its drawbacks. Issues such as habitat degradation, water pollution, disease outbreaks, and the use of antibiotics and other chemicals pose significant environmental and health risks.
Consumers deserve to know the impact of their seafood purchases, but the issues within this industry—notably, the lack of standardised information about its sustainability and environmental impact—continues to hinder consumers from making truly informed decisions. Without clear, harmonised indicators, consumers are left in the dark about the impact of their seafood purchases. Labels and certifications often vary widely in terms of criteria and transparency, leading to confusion and mistrust. This information gap not only affects individual purchasing decisions but also undermines broader efforts to promote sustainable consumption patterns. The absence of standardised metrics complicates the creation and enforcement of regulations by policymakers, and without clear guidelines and incentives, the industry will struggle to transition towards more sustainable production methods. Addressing these challenges requires a coordinated effort from all stakeholders, including governments, industry players, NGOs, and consumers.
The VeriFish solution includes tools to facilitate decision-making among consumers
The VeriFish project was conceived to tackle these challenges head-on over a two-year period starting in May 2024. Funded by the European Union (EU) and following the objectives of the HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-10 “Choose your fish: a campaign for responsible consumption of products from the sea” call, the project aims to develop a comprehensive framework of verifiable indicators that provide clear, reliable information on the health benefits, climate impacts, and sustainability of various seafood products. These indicators will be based on existing EU global FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data repositories and indicator lists. These will include indicators for environmental sustainability, social sustainability, provenance, processes (including organic production and seasonality), human health, and nutrition. The project will not define new indicators, as it will select existing ones from reliable sources and integrate them in a new and innovative framework. The project is designed to serve consumers, retailers, seafood producers, the HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and catering) sector, and policymakers alike, simplifying the complex landscape of seafood consumption. Based on the integrated framework of indicators, the project will develop a prototype of a web-based app, design, develop, and disseminate several types of media products and develop and publish European Good Practice recommendations. The web-based app and the media products will be promoted through social media channels attractive to targeted groups.
An indicator framework constitutes the core of the project
At the heart of VeriFish is the development of a robust indicator framework. This framework includes a set of verifiable indicators that can be used to make transparent claims about seafood products. These indicators cover a range of aspects, including environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and nutritional value. By standardising these metrics, VeriFish ensures that consumers receive consistent and reliable information, regardless of the source. The framework will be open access and tested via end-user engagement campaigns.
The structure of the VeriFish indicator framework will be closely aligned with the Global Record of Stocks and Fisheries (GRSF) that is based on Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) principles. This database is not only supported by the ongoing Horizon-Blue-Cloud 2026 project, but also is unique because it not only provides a list of sustainability indicators for fisheries, but it also provides the current state of each indicator. In the case of aquaculture, even though there is no central database like GRSF, there are many other different types compatible with what the project aims to achieve, such as AquaGRIS (FAO) and ISO 12877. In addition to these data sources of environmental sustainability, the indicator framework will contain and link together data sources and indicator lists for social sustainability, provenance, health, and nutrition from different databases, including FishBase, SeaLifeBase, ISO12875, SEAFOODTOMORROW, and FoodEXplorer.
Guidelines and visualisations will assist suppliers and consumers
The VeriFish framework will integrate information from different databases and rank them according to the level of reliability. Alongside this ranking, VeriFish will also provide a definition, rationale, method of computation, links to sources, periodicity, (dis)aggregation options, limitations, and comments about the compiled information. The framework will showcase the most important data about a product using standardised definitions. For many products, indicators can be collected once and used many times.
To avoid skimming 100+ pages of indicators, users and stakeholders will be able to view them in a spider/radar chart that supports connections between ideas, exploration of possible solutions, and visualisation of concepts that would otherwise be difficult to understand. This will allow users to assign a specific scope to an indicator and integrate local, seasonal, or health concerns regarding fisheries and aquaculture sustainability with wider sectoral environmental impact mitigation plans, sustainability of the fisheries, and EU-wide nutritional data.
To fully utilise the indicator framework, VeriFish provides comprehensive guidelines on how to use and visualise these indicators. These guidelines are designed to help retailers and producers effectively communicate the sustainability credentials of their products. Clear visualisation techniques, such as infographics and easy-to-understand labels, are promoted to ensure that the information is accessible and engaging for all consumers.
VeriFish’s pathways towards impact
The VeriFish project has been designed with high impact in mind, both the expected direct impact outlined in the topic and the wider societal impact following EU policies and UN Sustainable Development Goals. The project pathway towards impact will be through outreach campaigns, factsheets, magazine articles, recipes, games, videos, and SoMe content for different types of seafood, targeting different consumer groups, cultures, and languages.
One of the most exciting aspects of the VeriFish project is the development of a prototype mobile-friendly application. This app is designed to provide consumers with easy access to the indicator framework. Users can search for specific seafood products to see detailed factsheets, including the verifiable indicators, health benefits, and sustainability credentials. The app also offers recommendations on how to make informed and responsible seafood choices based on individual preferences and dietary needs.
The user interface will be convenient and will reproduce the VeriFish indicator framework in an easy-to-navigate format. The app will provide information describing the status of stocks, activities, food composition information, biological characteristics of species and environmental information, guiding users towards informed choices. Because VeriFish will be available in this portable, accessible form, sustainability can be more easily considered by consumers when they make choices about their seafood.
In addition to the app, VeriFish is creating a series of media products promoting informed consumption. These products include videos, social media content, and educational materials that highlight the importance of sustainable seafood practices. By leveraging multiple media channels, VeriFish aims to reach a broad audience and foster a community of informed and engaged consumers.
One of the key deliverables of the VeriFish project is the development of a European Good Practice (EGP) recommendation. This recommendation will be published as a CEN (French abbreviation for European Committee for Standardization) Workshop Agreement (CWA), providing a standardised approach for communicating about sustainable seafood. The CWA will offer practical guidelines on how to effectively organise and run campaigns that promote sustainable seafood consumption. By providing a harmonised framework, the CWA aims to improve the clarity and consistency of sustainability messages across Europe.
The CWA will play a critical role in enhancing the communication of sustainability credentials to different end-user groups. For consumers, it will provide clear and trustworthy information that helps them make informed choices. For retailers and producers, it will offer a standardised method for showcasing the sustainability of their products, helping to build consumer trust and loyalty. For policymakers, the CWA will serve as a valuable tool for designing and implementing effective regulations and initiatives.
Feedback from stakeholders will shape Community of Practice (CoP)
Central to the success of VeriFish is the establishment of a Community of Practice (CoP). This CoP will be established for stakeholders committed to promoting sustainable seafood, which will have a significant impact both during and after the project. The CoP will engage and attract experts, stakeholders, and multipliers to provide information about the VeriFish indicator framework, the media products, and the web-app and to engage them in the final project conference in February-March 2025. By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing, the CoP ensures that the best practices and insights are integrated into the VeriFish framework. The community will offer invaluable opportunities for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and skill development among members by fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose, as well as enhancing learning and problem-solving within specific domains and professions. The VeriFish CoP will engage actors in the relevant fish supply chains, other experts, and multipliers by providing independent, validated information about fish in the European market. At the same time, the CoP will also contribute to the VeriFish indicator framework and other tools.
Results from outreach efforts to feed into VeriFish solutions
Engaging a diverse range of stakeholders is crucial for the VeriFish project. By involving different perspectives and expertise, VeriFish ensures that its solutions are comprehensive and effective. Regular workshops, webinars, and consultations will be held to gather feedback and refine the project’s outputs. This collaborative approach not only enhances the quality of the indicator framework but also builds a sense of ownership and commitment among stakeholders.
The project will offer expert advice and promote good practices on how to collect, collate, aggregate, and present data on indicators. However, for VeriFish to be an effective project, it will follow a validation process with stakeholders and actors along seafood supply chains. This will allow for gathering feedback, ensuring alignment with objectives, and validating fitness for purpose. The goal of this validation phase, which will be conducted more than once to ensure ongoing alignment with stakeholders needs and expectations, is to demonstrate that VeriFish will provide an overview of a seafood product that is accessible in terms of the GRSF (Global Record of Stocks and Fisheries data protocol).
Involving children is critical for long-term impact
An essential component of VeriFish’s stakeholder engagement is the inclusion of children. Educating children through social media, influencers, and by engaging in “understanding games” about sustainable seafood is crucial. By cultivating today’s youth, VeriFish aims to shape the minds of the future and ensure sustainable production and consumption behaviours. Children, as the next generation of consumers, play a vital role in the long-term success of sustainability initiatives. Educating them about the importance of sustainable seafood practices helps to instil values and habits that will contribute to a more sustainable future.
The mobile app and all media products of VeriFish will be designed with many types of consumers in mind, including children. These tools will provide interactive and fun ways for children to learn about the benefits of sustainable seafood, making complex information more accessible and understandable. By involving children, VeriFish not only broadens its reach but also ensures that the message of sustainability is passed on to future generations, fostering a culture of informed and responsible consumption.
Project outputs could enable consumers to boost demand for sustainable seafood
While the initial focus of VeriFish is on developing the indicator framework and related tools, the project has a long-term vision that extends beyond these immediate goals. Future developments may include expanding the indicator framework to cover a wider range of seafood products and other food categories. Additionally, VeriFish aims to continue building and strengthening the CoP that will live on after the project, ensuring that the project remains responsive to emerging challenges and opportunities.
The success of VeriFish depends on both the efforts of the project team and stakeholders, and on the active participation of consumers. By embracing the tools and information provided by VeriFish, consumers can play a crucial role in driving demand for sustainable seafood. The project encourages readers to download the app, engage with the media products, and become part of the movement towards a more sustainable future.
For that, the indicator framework will be promoted across consumer, fisheries, and aquaculture associations to boost usage by their networks. The VeriFish app helps to solve the transition issues inside the fisheries and aquaculture sectors by allowing easy access to biological and environmental data. The guidelines on how to communicate sustainability will be used by different stakeholders as future ways to verify seafood indicators, and the Good Practice standard recommendations can become a reference for scientists and policymakers.
Ixai Salvo, ixai@eurofish.dk