Evolutionary Partnerships | Genji - A Premier Provider of all Natural Sushi and Japanese Cuisine

Be Green Packaging LLC is Genji’s proud partner in bringing our customers the world’s first fiber-based compostable sushi trays. Founded in 2007 by a passionate team of entrepreneurs in Santa Barbara, CA, Be Green is committed to finding green solutions to the world’s packaging needs.

The folks at Be Green are on a mission to design, develop, manufacture, and distribute tree free compostable food container packaging worldwide, and to reduce our reliance on forested and petroleum based raw materials. It’s a green revolution, and Be Green is Living the color™ as their two Cradle to Cradle Silver awards prove. The “C2C” award assesses products on a number of criteria, such as the use of safe and healthy materials; design for material reuse and recycling; efficient use of energy and water throughout production; and instituting strategies for social responsibility.

Furthermore, on Earth Day of 2009, Be Green was presented with the Seal of Sustainability Award from the Sustainable Business Institute (SBI) and the US Congress for having demonstrated continuous commitment to sustainable practices.

As one of the principals of the company, Megan Joy Havrda has stated, “This innovative project with Genji is a win win for everyone involved and demonstrates how Whole Foods provides a dynamic business environment for companies they work with. Together, Genji and Be Green rolled up their sleeves and improved how we package Genji sushi at Whole Foods Market. Ultimately, Whole Foods customers, our communities, and our natural landscape will see less plastic waste…we can all feel very good about this.”

Genji has partnered with American Tuna, of San Diego, CA, to bring you sushi-grade sustainable Wild Albacore Tuna. The six families who run American Tuna have been fishing Wild Albacore with “pole & troll” fishing gear for several generations. They’ve gone to great lengths to ensure the high quality of the fish they bring to market, and to protect the future sustainability of the Albacore population.

American Tuna only supports fishermen using the Pole & Troll fishing method and only processes Albacore caught by American Albacore Fishing Association (AAFA) vessels, which fish in Pacific Northwest waters. With this clean, targeted fishing method, these fishermen are working to further the well-being of the ocean by preventing overfishing, reducing impacts on the ocean floor, and virtually eliminating by-catch.

American Tuna had been exporting Albacore Tuna to Europe for decades, when Whole Foods Market in La Jolla, CA became interested in their story. As news spread of their high quality, locally-caught fish and the sustainable practices used to catch Wild Albacore Tuna, more and more Whole Foods Market stores began to carry American Tuna products. And that’s how Genji became interested in introducing sashimi and sushi-grade Wild Albacore at our sushi bars. Seared albacore, in particular, has a delicious buttery taste and grilled texture.

American Tuna Pole & Line

Pole & Line Method: most resembles “old-fashioned” fishing, as fishermen and fisherwomen use a pole with a hook on the end of it to catch fish from bait boats.
Benefits: a limited amount and size of fish are caught, virtually no by-catch, no damage to the ocean floor

troll illustration

Troll Method: several long poles with baited hooks are rigged onto a boat and pulled along the surface of the ocean.
Benefits: a limited amount of fish are caught, virtually no by-catch, no damage to the ocean floor

With sushi, it’s all about freshness and quality! In 2007, Genji selected the Villa Corporation, an innovative fish farm in Norway, as our primary salmon supplier because they provide the best of both freshness and quality, and do so in a way that is environmentally sound.

Villa is a pioneer in sustainable salmon farming practices. From the time the roe hatch, Villa feeds the juvenile salmon fish meal, fish oil, soy & vitamins. When the salmon reach the age when they would normally travel downstream towards the sea, Villa transports them to saltwater pens in the clean Norwegian fjords. Instead of using devastating pesticides, Villa stocks the pens with a unique type of fish, dubbed “cleaner fish,” which eat micro-organisms without any harm to the salmon or the environment.

In furthering our aim to provide only the finest quality in all-natural, sustainable seafood, Genji is proud to offer our customers Black Pearl Scottish Salmon. The salmon are raised in low-density, environmentally sound pens in the Shetland Islands of Northern Scotland, where the deep cool waters and intense currents provide ideal conditions for aquaculture. To closely emulate the fish’s natural diet, and to maximize the Omega-3 fatty acid content in the final product, Black Pearl uses a 100% marine oil feed derived from sustainable fish stocks.

Black Pearl’s Scottish Salmon has a natural, pure, and buttery-sweet taste making it perfect for sushi and sashimi, where the distinctive flavors of the fish can be fully appreciated. The company’s focus on extraordinary quality, freshness, and ecologically conscious practices is truly a benchmark for the industry.

“We strive to achieve a balance in promoting health, nutrition, and food safety with sustainable fishery management.”
Martin International Corporation