“By joining the GDST, we are advancing our commitment to responsible sourcing and are proud to work with Wholechain to make meaningful strides in achieving end-to-end traceability across our seafood supply chains," said Andrew Russell, Global Marine Sustainability Lead at Mars Petcare.
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Mars Petcare has announced a partnership with the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) and traceability technology provider Wholechain, aiming to implement comprehensive end-to-end tracking of its seafood supply chains.
According to Mars, this makes it the first pet food company globally to commit to meeting the GDST Standard.
The GDST is an international initiative that promotes interoperability and data standardization across seafood supply chains, addressing industry-wide challenges such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Mars' adoption of the GDST Standard involves using digital interoperable traceability, which allows data to be captured and exchanged consistently across systems.
Mars stated that joining the GDST "underscores its dedication to transparency and traceability, further aligning with global standards demonstrating to customers that seafood products are fully traceable, but also enhances Mars’ business and supply chain decision-making, supporting the implementation of CSR policies, risk mitigation and business resilience."
“At Mars, we have been working for more than 15 years, in collaboration with WWF, to drive more responsible fish sourcing, and address the growing pressures on vulnerable ocean ecosystems,” said Andrew Russell, Global Marine Sustainability Lead at Mars Petcare, via a press release.
“By joining the GDST, we are advancing our commitment to responsible sourcing and are proud to work with Wholechain to make meaningful strides in achieving end-to-end traceability across our seafood supply chains," he added.
Wholechain, which is verified by GDST as capable of supporting traceability standards, will assist Mars in improving visibility throughout its seafood sourcing, from origin to final product.
Jayson Berryhill, CEO of Wholechain, said that Mars' committment to traceability and adoption of GDST standards “is a powerful example of industry leadership," adding, "We are excited to work with Mars to turn their commitment into action."
Mars’ efforts may also contribute to the GDST’s ambition of expanding traceability standards to other commodities beyond seafood, Huw Thomas, Director of GDST, said.
"Companies with supply chains including non-seafood commodities - such as palm, soy, beef, chicken - are already exploring utilization of the GDST Standard in realizing their digital interoperable traceability ambitions," Thomas explained.
"The learnings Mars will be taking from implementing the GDST Standard for their seafood products across their non-seafood supply chains is anticipated to help to drive wider adoption of the GDST Standard across multiple markets, delivering industry-wide improvements in traceability and accountability," he added.
Founded by WWF and the Institute of Food Technologists in 2017, the GDST now includes 95 partners across various sectors, including seafood processors, retailers, and NGOs, while Wholechain, the technology partner in this initiative, is a blockchain-based platform recognized for its traceability innovations.
Mars Petcare, part of the privately-owned Mars group, includes a wide range of products and services focused on pet nutrition, veterinary care, diagnostics, and technology, including pet food brands Royal Canin, Pedigree, Whiskas, and Cesar.
