Chinese Retailer Hema Fresh Makes ASC Commitment

Chinese retailer Hema Fresh has committed to work towards selling only ASC certified Atlantic salmon under its own brand label Difresco, the first brand in China to do so.

The news was announced as Hema, the retailer owned by Alibaba, also signed a memorandum of understanding with ASC to jointly promote ASC certified products through Hema’s online and offline channels across China.

ASC certified frozen salmon products will be sold as part of the Difresco range in over 150 Hema stores across China, in the latest sign of ASC’s growing presence in the country. Hema’s ASC certified salmon is supplied by Bakkafrost, based in the Faroe Islands.

“With this commitment, Hema is reacting to the rising demand in China for seafood that has been produced in a responsible way,” said Songlin Wang, ASC Lead Strategist, Asia and Southeast Asia. “ASC certification requires farms are transparent, minimise their environmental impacts and promote positive outcomes for workers and communities. Thanks to Hema, now even more consumers in China have the option to reward those certified farms.”

“We will work closely with ASC to provide certified Atlantic salmon for our customers, taking advantage of Hema’s over 150 stores, our online and offline channels for promotion, and our continuing rapid growth,” said Huang Lin, Director in the Global Import Department of Hema’s Purchasing Department. “We will also guide Chinese consumers to think more about responsible seafood choices that help protect the marine environment, workers, and communities.”

The ASC presence is on the rise in China, which is the world’s largest consumer of seafood. Ten ASC certified farms are now producing over 60,000 tons of ASC certified products every year. And in April Wal-Mart China partnered with ASC for the launch of its new fresh meat and seafood traceability strategy at an event in Shenzen.