From Vietnam to California

“Verified Green” shrimp, assessed for environmental sustainability by Monterey Bay Aquarium, is now being served in University of California (UC) dining halls at UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Merced.

This milestone reflects a powerful collaboration between small-scale shrimp farmers in Vietnam and UC campuses—one that shows how sustainable practices can be recognized, rewarded, and connected to seafood purveyors (and eaters!) willing to buy their products.

For chefs and diners, Verified Green shrimp brings something the seafood marketplace has lacked: confidence that a delicious meal can also support healthy oceans and thriving communities.

A family farm rooted in sustainable practices

In Vietnam’s southern Mekong Delta, shrimp farmer Phạm Thanh Tuấn is helping change how shrimp from his region is sold. On his small family farm, shaded by protected mangroves that shelter his village from storms, Tuấn raises shrimp the way his father and grandfather did. That means without chemicals or other inputs like feed, in balance with nature. But for years, farmers like Tuấn faced a major challenge—how to show buyers that their shrimp were raised responsibly.

Why seafood choices matter for ocean health

Seafood is farmed, caught, sold, bought, traded, and internationally shipped at a huge scale, and billions of people rely on it for nutrition, income, and cultural identity. When seafood is produced responsibly, it can support healthy ecosystems, resilient coastal communities, and long-term food security.

Shrimp is the most popular seafood in America, yet most of the shrimp eaten in the United States is fished or farmed overseas by people like Tuấn who haven’t had a way to show if their practices have a negative impact on the environment—or not. Vietnam is the world’s largest producer of black tiger shrimp and a top exporter to the U.S.

Monterey Bay Aquarium creates opportunities for small-scale farmers

For most small-scale farmers, traditional eco-certifications are too costly and complex. But without a way to prove their methods caused little environmental harm, farmers practicing sustainability were often locked out of global markets and unable to earn better prices for their work.

Enter Do Vu Linh, Monterey Bay Aquarium global fellow and Vietnam program manager, who is sharing Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Verification Platform with farmers like Tuấn. This new tool allows farmers to share information about the environmentally responsible practices used at their farm and in their region, opening doors for farmers who were previously excluded. Equipped with this information, Monterey Bay Aquarium can then inform buyers that the shrimp being sold is Verified Green for environmental sustainability.

From coastal farms to campus kitchens

Today, Tuấn’s shrimp are being served in UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Merced dining halls—marking the first time U.S. institutions can confidently purchase shrimp Verified Green for environmental sustainability by Monterey Bay Aquarium. For the UC system, this sourcing decision reflects a commitment to ocean health, responsible coastal food systems, and values-aligned purchasing.

The purchase helps UC meet its goal of procuring 25 percent sustainable food. UC has been recognized and ranked highly for its sustainability accomplishments by many organizations and rating tools. For example, UI GreenMetric has ranked UC Davis the most sustainable campus in North America for 10 years in a row and in the world's top 10 for 13 consecutive years.

For Tuấn, verification confirmed what he already knew: his shrimp are raised with methods that safeguard mangroves, protect water quality, strengthen his community’s resilience, and support his family’s future.

Exceptional taste, trusted impact

For chefs and diners, Verified Green shrimp offers something long missing from the seafood aisle: confidence—and exceptional quality. Chefs consistently say this shrimp stands apart, with clean flavor and firm texture that reflects careful farming and healthy ecosystems.

Knowing where your food comes from—and how it was produced—adds meaning to every meal. It means the shrimp on your plate helps coastal wildlife flourish, supports small-scale farmers, and strengthens communities thousands of miles away.

A model for the future of seafood farming and dining

The journey from a mangrove-shaded farm in Vietnam to UC campuses in Northern California shows what’s possible when farmers, institutions, and conservation leaders work together. By asking where your shrimp comes from—and choosing Verified Green products—you become part of a movement that protects oceans, supports fishers, and builds a food system that works for people and nature.