#SustyTalk: Thai Union’s Blake Stok on strategising for sustainable seafood

#SustyTalk is all about keeping edie’s loyal readers connected to sustainability leaders across the world, whilst reminding us all that sustainability and climate action must go on through the current cost of living crisis and beyond. It launched in the early stages of the pandemic in 2020 and has continued since then, keeping us connected to the leaders who are continuing to drive sustainable business and climate action.

For this latest #SustyTalk episode, edie’s deputy editor Sarah George is in conversation with Blake Stok, director of sustainability for Thai Union North America.

Thai Union Group is a multinational food company specialising in fish and seafood. Back in July, it provided a sweeping update to its longstanding ‘SEA CHANGE’ sustainability strategy, pledging THB 7.2bn ($200m) of additional funding through to 2030 and updating key targets relating to topics including the net-zero transition and efficient manufacturing.

Stok is on hand to talk through what was changed, and why, as the sector works to tackle the interlinked risks arising from the twin climate and nature crises, which are felt acutely through oceans.

He also provides his top tips for effectively communicating sustainability within a large business – whether to the finance team and board-level executives, or to those working in the supply chain.

Stok says: “We’ve been closely connected to the finance function because sustainability applies directly to our business in every aspect, including the bottom line as well. We recognise that if we don’t take care of our people and the planet now, then we won’t have the same kind of business in the future.

“So, at Thai Union, we have long referred to traceability as the backbone of SEA CHANGE. It is a key way to improve transparency and operational practices across the entire seafood supply chain. At the onset of SEA CHANGE, we invested in traceability as our number one priority, and it’s an area  we’ll continue to invest in as we bring [our 2030 strategy] to life.

“We hope that other seafood companies will mimic it.”

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Want to be featured on a future episode of #SustyTalk? Email newsdesk@fav-house.com. Please bear in mind that our interview calendar is now booked until after COP28.