Green gurus Nancy Zavada, Shawna McKinley and Mariela McIlwraith teamed up to pool their knowledge into a book about sustainable meetings focused on what they call “the low- hanging fruit”—what you need to get started. It is available through the MeetGreen website store.
With overfishing dramatically disrupting the balance of life in our oceans, here are 5 ideas from the book for incorporating sustainable seafood into your event:
- Trash Fish Dinners. Create a menu that highlights lesser-known species, thereby reducing pressure on overfished species and helping local fishing communities.
- Get the App. Download a sustainable seafood app for the area where the meeting is being held. Check it close to the event date since recommendations can fluctuate seasonally.
- Local and Seasonal. Your seafood’s carbon footprint increases significantly with air freight. Choose local and seasonal seafood whenever possible.
- Fish Fridays. Ask your venue to offer a Fish Friday menu to all their in-house groups (known as ganging menus). The more groups using the same menu, the better for managing food waste. For added impact, leave the menu flexible, allowing your chef to make adjustments for the most sustainable option in your budget.
- Shark Fin-Free Events. Demand for shark fins is resulting in high harvesting levels of this top predator. They are typically used for shark fin soup, a highly valued delicacy that represents generosity and status. Instead, offer an alternative menu item or gift to replace not only the shark fin as an ingredient but also the symbolism associated with it.
