Report: Aldi, Hy-Vee come out on top in tuna industry

Aldi and Hy-Vee were the only grocery retailers to receive passing grades in Greenpeace USA’s latest scorecard on tuna supply chain practices.

The new report, titled, “The High Cost of Cheap Tuna 2024,” notes that some retailers have made improvements in sourcing tuna, but for the most part U.S. retailers’ current human rights and sustainability practices are failing. 

For the third year in a row, Aldi led all grocers with an overall score of 71%. Hy-Vee registered at 60%. Both Target (59%) and Whole Foods Market (58%) finished just outside a passing mark. Trader Joe’s received the lowest overall mark of 12%. Other notables were Walmart (44%), Albertsons (39%), Costco (29%), Kroger (27%), and Wegmans (21%).

Each retailer received an overall environmental score and an overall human rights score. On the environmental side only five retailers — Aldi (74%), Whole Foods (70%), Hy-Vee (66%), Sprouts Farmers Market (62%), and Ahold Delhaize (53%) received passing scores. 

On the human rights end, Aldi (66%) was the only grocer to receive a passing score. 

“As one of the world’s largest seafood markets, the U.S. government and the retailers who profit from it have the responsibility and the leverage needed to drive change and reform global tuna supply chain practices,” said study co-author Charli Fritzner, who is the U.S. project lead, Global Fisheries, for Greenpeace USA. “In every single scorecard category, there are retailers implementing positive practices and policies, which tells us that with concerted efforts towards wider adoption of best practices, sustainability and respect for human rights are possible, it’s just not a priority yet.”

Greenpeace USA argues that major retailers like Kroger, Costco, and Walmart have the opportunity and resources to set the benchmark for sustainability and labor rights in the tuna industry.