Darden restaurants source seafood from over 30 countries and seafood comprises 70% of their protein purchase. Darden’s strategic focus is to shorten supply chains by contracting directly with the producer. The company’s Quality standards are more stringent than national regulations and overseen by the employment of 50 employees in Darden’s Quality Assurance Department alone, 10 of whom are based at the point of origin of seafood purchases. Darden is proactive in addressing social and environmental laws in addition to implementing food safety measures: By contract, all suppliers must adhere to all laws in the country where they operate. If the sustainability of species is questioned, Darden will remove it from its List of Approved Species.