Friedrichshafen / Hamburg, 31 March 2026
Going beyond existing certifications: followfood defines its own criteria for climate protection, ecosystems, fish stocks and social standards – including the first climate criterion for fisheries
followfood has published the second version of its Fishery Sourcing Guidelines and is making them transparently available as an open-source document. With these guidelines, the sustainable food company continues to actively drive forward sustainability efforts within the seafood industry. The followfood Fishery Sourcing Guidelines 2.0 define six sourcing criteria against which every fishery supplying followfood is assessed on an annual basis.
In key areas, the guidelines go significantly beyond existing market certifications and demonstrate what transparent and responsible supply chains in the seafood industry can already look like today – for example through the introduction of the first climate criterion for fisheries.
Since its foundation, followfood has sourced exclusively from MSC-certified fisheries, currently the most important global standard for sustainable fishing. At the same time, followfood is convinced that future-proof economic activity must go further. This includes greater transparency, stricter requirements regarding stock status and a binding climate criterion.
With support from international experts from science and NGOs – including WWF, BlueYou and the University of Hamburg – followfood has therefore developed six proprietary sourcing criteria that consistently go beyond MSC certification. In doing so, the company is setting a sustainability benchmark for the industry.
“At followfood, we aim to continuously set new standards that help move the entire industry forward. That is why we have taken on the challenge of going beyond existing certifications.
Sustainable sourcing guidelines always face the challenge of being feasible from a market perspective. With our followfood Fishery Sourcing Guidelines, we have found exactly this sweet spot. The MSC, as the only global sustainability standard, is already extremely important, and its data is indispensable for us as well. Together, we can show that a food system operating within planetary boundaries is possible – but that it requires continuous development.”
Julius Palm, Head of Strategy & Brand at followfood and Board Member of the German Association for Sustainable Business
Overview of the Six Criteria
Every fishery from which followfood sources is assessed annually against the following six criteria. If a fishery fails to meet even one of them, it is excluded from the product range.
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Selectivity – Proportion of MSC Target Species
followfood sources from fisheries in which MSC-certified target species account for at least 60% of the total catch. This ensures that fishing activities are truly targeted and sustainable, and that the majority of a fishery’s catch meets the MSC’s strict criteria and comes from healthy stocks – an aspect that is not assessed by the MSC due to the prevalence of mixed fisheries. -
Stock Status and Fishing Pressure
Target species must be in a healthy condition and be fished at sustainable levels. followfood applies an even stronger precautionary principle and excludes fisheries if species in critical condition account for more than 5% of the total catch. -
Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species (ETP Species)
Fishing practices must not significantly endanger populations of endangered, threatened or protected species such as sea turtles, sharks or marine mammals. Based on MSC audit data, followfood conducts its own assessment of known interactions and incorporates scientific studies as well as up-to-date NGO reports. -
Fishing Method and Ecosystems
followfood does not initiate new projects using raw materials from bottom trawl fisheries and is working towards a long-term replacement of existing products, as these methods cause long-lasting damage to seabed habitats. In addition, followfood evaluates the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs), the risk of lost ghost gear and the quality of management strategies designed to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems. -
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Fisheries account for around 4% of food-related greenhouse gas emissions – an aspect not yet assessed by existing sustainability certifications. followfood is closing this gap with its own climate criterion based on fuel intensity (litres per tonne of catch). Fisheries that exceed three times the global median are excluded from sourcing. -
Social Standards
followfood assesses the entire supply chain – from fishery to processing facility – using internationally recognised social certifications combined with a country-specific risk model based on the World Bank’s governance indicators.
In addition, followfood highlights two further challenges facing fisheries: animal welfare and marine pollution. Fish are explicitly recognised by followfood as sentient beings. A questionnaire is used to raise awareness within the industry and collect initial data. At the same time, followfood is placing a stronger focus on marine pollution, which largely originates from fishing activities. Here too, data is to be gathered and industry-wide awareness raised.
The criteria were developed over several years in collaboration with an expert advisory board comprising specialists from WWF, the University of Hamburg and other institutions. They were tested internally and refined through an iterative process. followfood views its guidelines as a complement to existing certification systems – not a replacement. The guidelines are published as an open-source document so that other companies can also benefit from them.