Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio has made a major investment in a frozen food company.
You may be thinking, ‘Hmm… a strange investment choice Leo, but hey - you do, you’, but there is a good reason why the star has chosen a frozen dinner company to throw his money at. You may have realised by this point that the company isn’t the ‘classic TV dinner’, or ‘frozen chicken nuggets and chips’, kind of business.
The company is called LoveTheWild, and it produces sustainable, farm-raised frozen seafood meals.
The US-based company frames its mission statement as, “to make a real impact on environmental and population health in this country, so we empower and inspire people to love and eat more fish, with culinary driven, sustainable fish meals.”
LoveTheWild offers simple single-serve frozen fish dinners, and place great efforts on not contributing to the depletion of wild populations. They only use fish that can be sustainably farmed, such as striped bass, catfish, trout, and barramundi. Dinners that are available include 'Red Trout with Salsa Verde', and 'Catfish with Cajun Crème'.
There's been a large amount of debate in recent times about the benefits and disadvantages of 'wild-caught' seafood in comparison to 'farm-raised', 'line-caught', 'organic'. Many believe wild-caught fish are healthier and better for the environment - at one point that was indeed the case, but now, there's not always enough left to harvest. However, modern sustainable farming practices have evolved enormously and appear to often be a viable option - particularly when talking about fish like Atlantic salmon. Environmentally conscious fish farms can offer cheaper produce, controlled environments, and generally lower rates of mercury.
About his new investment, DiCaprio said in a statement, “The exploitation of our oceans has left many marine ecosystems on the brink of total collapse, which is hurting our ability to harvest our seas as a reliable food source as we have for thousands of years."
He also said that LoveTheWild “is empowering people to take action on this crisis in a very meaningful way”.
The exploitation of our oceans has left many marine ecosystems on the brink of total collapse, which is hurting our ability to harvest our seas as a reliable food source as we have for thousands of years.
The actor has long been an outspoken advocate for the environment. He spoke of the effects and lack of action regarding climate change during his acceptance speech at the Academy Awards last year, and also met with former President Barack Obama in 2016 to discuss current and future action plans to tackle climate change, publicly saying that deniers of climate change “should not be allowed to hold public office".
Last year, he also released the climate change documentary Before the Flood, which he starred in, as well as produced.
SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
Have a story or comment? Contact Us
