The two companies are to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 21 September 2016 in order to begin the work.
As part of the agreement, Gfresh, an online marketplace for seafood, will promote on its e-commerce platform products from Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)-certified facilities, encouraging Chinese and international retail and foodservice buyers to source seafood from responsible operations. A section of its e-commerce platform will be dedicated to the BAP third-party certification programme and responsible aquaculture.
In turn, GAA will encourage its network of BAP-certified facilities to capitalize on Gfresh’s service, networks and insights.
The agreement involves a number of other cross-promotional efforts, both online and at events such as GAA’s annual GOAL conference and the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo.
“We feel this partnership with Gfresh is well-suited for the Chinese market, where food safety is a major concern to customers. The food safety component of the BAP standards really offers Chinese retailers a unique marketing tool they can use to satisfy their customers concerns,” said Steve Hart, GAA’s vice president of education and outreach.
“This partnership with GAA is an important first step that will give Chinese buyers the ability to identify and source seafood that are certified safe and sustainable,” said Anthony Wan, vice president and co-founder of Gfresh.
In its first year, Gfresh’s online platform generated more than USD 100 million in seafood trade. The company opened four offices and expanded to 10 buyer cities in China (Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Jiangsu) and abroad (Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea).
Gfresh integrates the entire cold logistics chain — including customs handling, quality inspections and a secure payment system — into one online platform, with the aim of simplifying cross-border trade.
