Litchfield Farms Organic & Natural FAQ
Some answers to some common questions.....
- What makes your company and products different?
- Is all your seafood sustainable?
- Why do you sell some seafood that is on some "red" lists?
- Is it safe to say that your company believes that we should stop eating wild seafood?
- I have heard some not so good things about aquaculture- why not just stop eating fish?
- What about fish feeds? I hear that aquaculture uses a lot of wild fish to make fish feeds...
- What is a "sushi" grade fish?
- What is "organic" fish?
- What is the carbon footprint of your seafood?
- Why isn't my tuna that super bright red I see from other companies?
- How humanely are aquacultured fish treated versus farmed animals?
Q: What makes your company and products different?
A: We are committed to a concept that we developed: Cultural Sustainability. This guiding principal recognizes both the need to protect our oceans and its inhabitants and to support and protect local communities that depend on the seas for their livelihood and cultural identity. Thus, we recognize the need to promote sustainable aquaculture as our primary source of seafood while acknowledging that a small wild capture fishery is important as a living cultural artifact.
Q: Is all your seafood sustainable?
A: Yes. We are the only company we are aware of that only carries sustainable seafood.
Q: Why do you sell some seafood that is on some "red" lists?
A: While we support the work of many NGOs that develop the various seafood watch lists, we have recognized the false assumptions that underlie many of these lists. Our criteria transcends these lists by acknowledging that all wild capture fisheries are either over fished or at the limit of their capacity. That is why we support only sustainable aquaculture and limited wild capture fisheries. Some of the fish we sell are on the red list, but they are always from a sustainable aquacultured source or wild captured by local fishermen. You can be confident that our fish meets the highest standards of sustainability and safety.
Q: Is it safe to say that your company believes that we should stop eating wild seafood?
A: Yes with some reservations. The oceans are currently being depleted. If we continue on our current consumption patterns the seafood we have taken for granted will be gone for our's and future generations. So we need to dramatically reduce our consumption of wild seafood. This reduction must not come at the cost of destroying the cultural identity of our local communities, however. That is why we support very limited wild capture fisheries that can demonstrate a long standing cultural relationship.
Q: I have heard some not so good things about aquaculture- why not just stop eating fish?
A: Eating fish has many health benefits. In fact, fish is arguably one of the healthiest protein sources available. The downsides of fish consumption are almost all related to environmental contaminants such as mercury and PCBs. With sustainably aquacultured fish the environmental impact is less to the planet than land based agriculture (such as chicken and beef production) and environmental contaminants can be fully controlled or eliminated.
Q: What about fish feeds? I hear that aquaculture uses a lot of wild fish to make fish feeds...
A: Less than half of all wild fishmeals are used for aquaculture. The bulk is used for pig, chicken and other ruminants feeds. Sustainable aquaculture is becoming more and more efficient in their use of fishmeals including the development of alternatives from algae. Fish need certain amino acids to develop properly and the source of these essential building blocks is the focus of extensive research. Ironically, the use of fishmeals in many animal feeds is so that producers can claim that their pork or chicken is high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Of course, we think it best to eat fish for these benefits and leave the pork and chicken for barbecue.
Also, studies have shown that wild fish eat more feed fish stocks than they would in aquaculture do to the tremendous energy they expend to hunt for food and reproduce. The argument has been made that farmed fish actually saves feed fish stocks when compared to wild hatchery released fish.
Q: What is a "sushi" grade fish?
A: I would not consider any fish sushi grade unless you obtained it directly from the harvester or through someone who dealt with the harvester directly. Virtually all our seafood is sushi grade and safe to be consumed raw. The bulk of the seafood in sushi resturants has been frozen or salted to maintain food safety. What is available in a fish market or supermarket is rarely truly safe to eat raw.
A: Organic fish is raised in accordance with a certain articulated protocol. This protocol will include treatment of the fish, types of feeds allowable, use of GMO or antibiotics, and a host of other issues. We believe such standards as "organic" need to be taken with a grain of salt though. Drawing analogies to the USDA Organic Program one questions the value of a program that certifies "organic" such items as pop tart type pastry, toaster waffles, and soda. The recent salmonella outbreak at a factory that manufactured mass produced peanut butter along side "organic" peanut butter drives home this point. We support organic products when they meet our other standards, not because they are "certified organic."
Q: What is the carbon footprint of your seafood?
A:The total carbon footprint of any product is the sum of the CO2 or methane emissions from production and shipping which varies by producer and product. Local producers should but do not always have a lower carbon footprint as environmental practices play a large role in determining carbon emissions. The bulk of our products are not available locally and being perishable are shipped air freight. Virtually all are shipped as air freight is on currently scheduled passenger flights, thus "coat tailing" on an existing carbon emission producer. Many of the airlines we use purchase carbon credits to offset their emissions, such as KLM. Keep in mind the agricultural production of meat is one of the largest producers of greenhouse gases. So one could reduce global warming by eating more fish and less meat!
New research also demonstrates that even considering shipping and transport fish and chicken have the lowest carbon footprint because of the inherent efficiencies in their production.
Q: Why isn't my tuna that super bright red I see from other companies?
A: Much of the tuna sold is treated with CO gas. Carbon monoxide gas is a poisonous gas that is most often associated with car and truck exhausts-- its the stuff that kills when you your gas heater is not properly vented. This gas kills by bonding to the hemoglobin in your blood preventing oxygen from getting into your body. This same bonding occurs with tuna hemoglobin. The result is a bright red color that is often associated with "sushi" grade tuna. The fact is that CO treatment may make for a nice color it also masks any evidence of spoilage. Our tuna as it ages will discolor, CO treated tuna will look pretty good even after it rotten and unsafe to eat. We certify in writing that all our tuna is never treated with CO gas. Ask for this certification in writing from all your tuna suppliers. Read more in these Wahington Post and NY Times articles.
Q: How humanely are aquacultured fish treated versus farmed animals?
A: The production of the bulk of pork, beef and chicken is through a system of factory farms. The cruelty inherent in this system cannot be imagined especially when contrasted with the manner fish are processed. The following links are graphic, yet they reflect what we all should accept as ethical, i.e., if you cannot accept how your food is grown and harvested perhaps you shoud not eat those foods. The following videos heighlight the diffrences between meat and fish production and slaughter. Note that these vidoes are often graphic and disturbing. The first two videos are produced by PETA and are meant to encourage vegetarianism and were only chosen beacuse they provide a summary of how various farm animals are processed not to support any one dietary preference.