KLM strives to lead the industry in assuming corporate social responsibility. Reducing CO2 emissions is a top priority in KLM’s CSR policy. But there are other areas in which the airline aims to achieve sustainability. In line with its sustainability strategy, KLM take initiatives that have a positive impact on biodiversity.
One of these initiatives is inflight catering, where KLM has become the first airline in the world to extend its sustainability strategy to include the meals it serves on board. KLM has now launched a pilot project in which World Business Class passengers can choose to be served fish – in this case sustainable hake, from the waters of South Africa — as their main dish. m. Passengers can find the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo on the menu, assuring them that the fish being served is from a certified sustainable fishery. The MSC is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated solving the problems of overfishing by recognizing and rewarding sustainable fishing practices through its certification and eco-labeling scheme. Fish products bearing the MSC eco-label can be traced back to an independently certified sustainable fishery.
“This pilot program represents a pioneering step by KLM and demonstrates KLM’s commitment to sustainable sourcing,” says Chris Ninnes, Deputy Chief Executive of the MSC. “While consumers can now find the MSC eco-label on seafood in shops and restaurants in 38 countries around the world, this is the first time an airline has offered MSC fish to its passengers. The MSC eco-label on the menu means that KLM’s customers can be assured that their fish can be traced back to the certified sustainable fishery that caught it.”
For the duration of the study, KLM has entered into an agreement with Fishes, a fish monger that was voted most sustainable fish company in the world and the first in continental Europe to obtain the MSC certificate. The pilot project will run from September though November on intercontinental flights departing from Amsterdam.
