Although we’re sure this approach just opens an entirely new venue in which we can criticise them, Wal-Mart is now throwing its weight behind organic products.

As part of a “green policy” announced last year to help assuage the persnicketty naggering of their critics, Wal-Mart is trying to go organic to meet the increasing American demand for organic products and also reduce things like energy and packaging. Another large part of it is to start swaying the wealthier demographic from competitors, doing to hippy granola vendors what Wal-Mart previously did to small Mom & Pop organizations: crush them into gelatinous ooze under heel.

One thing Wal-Mart is going to spend particular time trying to focus on is seafood, specifically in selling freely caught fish. Apparently, their aim is not simply to buy up all the local supplies of freely caught fish, but to actually take existing fisheries and work with them to adopt MSC practices that discourage over-fishing and other ocean unfriendly practices.

Good for them, although we’re puzzled by this comment by a Wal-Mart executive: “…when I look at seafood now and how many dollars it does now and how many dollars it’s going to do in four years, I’m extremely concerned that that product is simply not going to be there.” Dude. No matter how badly fisheries are doing, fish as a product isn’t going anywhere. Or is he claiming that Wal-Mart buying up fisheries is somehow going to save all forms of sub-aqueous life? Given Wal-Mart’s penchant for overstating themselves, the latter possibility isn’t too unlikely.

Wal-Mart’s Organics Could Shake Up Retail

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