Connétable, Findus, Labeyrie, Carrefour and the MSC join forces to promote certified sustainable seafood

16 December 2009

Ce communiqué de presse est disponible en français.

French shoppers will find it easier to choose certified sustainable seafood when a new, nationwide awareness campaign, Les Jours Bleus, is launched in Carrefour stores in January.

Connétable [1] , Findus [2], Labeyrie [3] and the MSC in partnership with the Carrefour Group [4] will soon launch les Jours Bleus (the Blue days), a nationwide in-store campaign. The campaign will help French consumers make positive environmental choices when buying seafood. It is the first instore campaign promoting MSC-labelled products ever organised in France.

Joining forces to boost the MSC ecolabel

The campaign brings together three pioneering seafood brands, the world's largest food retailer and the leading environmental ecolabel for sustainable fishing. Its primary objective is to show consumers that by choosing MSC-labelled seafood, they are making a positive difference to our world's oceans.

The MSC ecolabel makes it easy for consumers to get involved and do their bit for the environment. It will be prominently featured in Les Jours Bleus.

The campaign will run in Carrefour Market from 27th January until 2nd of February and from 16th until 23rd of February in Carrefour Hypermarchés. More than 200 Hypermarchés and Carrefour Market will take part in the campaign with a wide range of MSC-labelled products on display [link to http://www.msc.org/fr/jours-bleus/produits-partenaires] (in French).

Reaching out to consumers

The MSC’s consumer communications strategy was developed in conjunction with internationally-renowned agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, who contributed their services pro-bono. The improved MSC ecolabel was launched in July 2009. Les Jours Bleus is the next phase in the MSC’s global campaign to add value to its partners. The planned programme of joint campaigns is designed to increase awareness of the MSC ecolabel at the same time as enhancing the sustainability credentials of the participating seafood brands and retailers. Their aim is to make MSC labelled products meaningful and important to shoppers and demonstrate the active commitment of our commercial partners.

What our partners say:

Carrefour launched its very first MSC-labelled product in February 2008. The group has since then widened its range and is now offering 25 MSC-labelled products under the Carrefour brand in its refrigerated section and on its fresh fish counters. Carrefour now offers the largest range of MSC-labelled retailers' own brand products in France. Hervé Gomichon, Global Quality Director for the Carrefour Group, welcomed the launch of this joint campaign: "For Carrefour, it is important to offer our customers seafood products that support the healthy management of our marine resources. The MSC is at the very heart of the Carrefour Group's seafood sourcing policy. We are committed to this path in order to offer our customers  a wider range of sustainable seafood products."

Nicolas Guichoux, MSC Regional Director – Europe, commented: “By taking part in this campaign and promoting their MSC-labelled range in stores, Findus, Connétable and Labeyrie are the first French brands to demonstrate such an active commitment to a sustainable future for seafood. Carrefour, which will host the first Jours Bleus campaign in its supermarkets and superstores, is responding to increasing consumer demand for fully traceable and sustainable seafood products. Environmentally conscious consumers will now be able to find out more about the MSC’s work in their nearest stores.” Nicolas Guichoux also added: “We would like to extend a special thanks to Saatchi & Saatchi for their invaluable contribution in the development of Les Jours Bleus.”

Steven Libermann, Marketing & Developpement Director, Findus France added: "We have been working hand in hand with the MSC for a number of years and we are delighted to see this joint-campaign become a reality throughout France. Each of these campaigns will help us raise consumer awareness about the conservation of our marine resources."

Jean-François Hug, CEO of Chancerelle said: "The Connétable MSC-labelled range has been very successful since its launch in 2008 and we are delighted to join forces with Findus and Labeyrie to promote MSC sustainable seafood in Carrefour stores."

Xavier Gaudio, CEO of Labeyrie added : "Our commitment to sustainable seafood is part of our company's strategy. Our MSC-labelled products represent a significant part of our sustainable range. We are glad to be part of this campaign."

For more info

To view the list of MSC-labelled products, please visit: www.msc.org/fr/joursbleus (in French) or www.carrefour.fr/developpement_durable (in French)

Notes to editors

[1] Since 1853, the oldest sardine canning plant in the world, Connétable has endeavoured to combine quality products with exquisite recipes. The organisation prides itself on an exceptional knowledge of fish, passed on down from generation to generation and a fabrication that combines traditional artisan methods with modern processes to produce gourmet products. Its staff has been passionately perpetuating this tradition contributing to the success of the group and the Connétable brand for over 150 years. Connétable launched its first MSC-labelled range in 2008.

[2] Findus France is part of the Findus Group, one of the leading European players in the food and seafood industries. Findus Group encompasses Findus (France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, United Kingdom), Young’s (United Kingdom) and the Seafood Company (United Kingdom).
In France, Findus is the leading frozen seafood brand, with an overlapping presence in a number of segments: fish, vegetables and potatoes, ready meals….

[3] Leader for smoked salmon and foie gras in France, Labeyrie is part of the French-Islandic group Alfesca, number 1 in Europe for food for special occasions and is represented in 4 segments: prawns, foie gras, duck products, blinis and "tartinables" (spreads). For more than 60 years, Labeyrie have dedicated their knowledge to developing top quality products. Committed to sustainable development, Labeyrie chose to source all its smoked salmon range from fisheries certified to the MSC standard in 2007.

[4] The Carrefour Group is composed of hypermarkets, supermarkets, maxi discount and local shops, as well as cash-and-carry outlets and has more than 5,500 stores. Over the past 50 years,  it has become a household name for millions shoppers by offering a wide range of products and services at competitive prices. Committed to sustainable development for 20 years, Carrefour has implemented a number of activities to foster a more responsible trade which respects the environment and communities.. Carrefour's sustainable commitments can be split into 4 categories: preservation of our resources, waste control, fostering responsible consumer consumption, Corporate Social Responsibility.