LONDON — Today, Mars, Incorporated announced it has joined the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) and partnered with WholeChain to establish robust, end-to-end traceability across its seafood supply chains, including that for pet nutrition. 

Founded in 2017 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the GDST is an international, business-to-business platform committed to creating global standards and guidelines for interoperable seafood traceability. The organization’s goal is to establish a common framework for seafood traceability that also enables seamless data exchange across the supply chain. Its standards ensure that traceability systems are interoperable in order to address challenges like illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, while also improving sustainability practices.

Joining the GDST underscores Mars’ dedication to transparency and traceability, aligning with global standards to demonstrate that its seafoods are fully traceable, according to the company. It will also help enhance the company’s business and supply chain decision-making by supporting the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies, as well as risk mitigation strategies. 

The move makes Mars the first pet food company in the world to commit to meeting the GDST Standard. The company will implement digital interoperable traceability throughout its seafood supply chains, which will collect key data and share it between different systems.

“At Mars, we have been working for more than 15 years, in collaboration with the WWF, to drive more responsible fish sourcing and address the growing pressures on vulnerable ocean ecosystems,” said Andrew Russell, global marine sustainability lead of Mars Petcare. 

The GDST Standard has emerged as a leading partner for companies aiming to advance their sustainability and traceability in seafood supply chains. It serves as a vital platform, developing standards to ensure interoperability across supply chains. Currently, the GDST has 95 partners, ranging from seafood processors, retailers and software companies to nongovernmental organizations and brands. 

“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,” Russell said.

To meet the standards, Mars has partnered with WholeChain, a solution provider verified by the GDST. It will provide Mars with a scalable traceability solution that not only works in seafood, but across other commodities. 

Currently the companies are working to establish visibility throughout key points of Mars’ seafood chain, from origin to finished product. By leveraging WholeChain’s platform, Mars will be able to enhance product integrity and mitigate risk and ensure responsible environmental and social sourcing across its operations. 

“Mars’ commitment to adopting GDST standards and prioritizing traceability is a powerful example of industry leadership,” said Jayson Berryhill, chief executive officer of WholeChain. “We are excited to work with Mars to turn their commitment into action, providing the technological support needed to deliver full visibility across their seafood supply chain.”

Mars’ partnership with the GDST and WholeChain will also support the long-term expansion of the GDST Standard into non-seafood commodity markets, expanding traceability. 

“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,” said Huw Thomas, director of the GDST. “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.” 

Read more about sustainability efforts across the pet food and treat industry.