Retailers, Growers and Suppliers Gather in Atlanta to Recognize ECIP Leadership Circle
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: LeAnne R. Ruzzamenti, (202) 524-0540, media@equitablefood.org
WASHINGTON, November 1, 2024 – Equitable Food Initiative, the workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumer groups, recently celebrated the Ethical Charter Implementation Program’s Leadership Circle at an event held on the first night of the Global Produce & Floral Show in Atlanta. The celebration served as a platform to recognize 26 supplier companies who have shown exceptional leadership in adopting ECIP and accelerating awareness of the importance of responsible labor practices in the produce industry.
The gathering, held at Der Biergarten in downtown Atlanta, brought together over 100 industry leaders, suppliers and buyers to recognize produce suppliers named to the ECIP Leadership Circle. Among the attendees were representatives from Target, Sam’s Club and Costco Wholesale. As of October 31, 6 major buyers, 261 produce suppliers and 1,213 growers have subscribed to the ECIP LAB platform.
Peter O’Driscoll, executive director of EFI, expressed gratitude for the buyers’ continued support of ECIP, and for the suppliers in the Leadership Circle. “This celebration is about recognizing the credible engagement of these leading suppliers and acknowledging the critical role they play in the continuous improvement of labor practices in the produce industry. By focusing on the people at the heart of production – the farmworkers – they are promoting more equitable, ethical and sustainable future for our industry.”
Special remarks were given by buyers from Costco and Sam’s Club, highlighting their support for ECIP and emphasizing the growing need to strengthen labor management systems. Retailers underlined their appreciation for suppliers who are dedicating time, effort and resources to align with the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices and to ensure fair labor practices all the way to field level.
The companies named to the Leadership Circle became 3- or 4-star suppliers in the ECIP LAB online platform by bringing their growers into the program and assessing the systems they have in place to support field-level labor practices. On November 4, merchants from Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Kroger, Target and McDonalds will gain access to suppliers’ ECIP engagement ratings through the LAB platform and can use that data in their own efforts to promote responsible labor practices throughout the supply chain.
The ECIP Leadership Circle includes:
1. AMFRESH North America
2. Ayco Farms
3. Bonduelle
4. Bostock North America
5. Bridges Organic Produce
6. Church Brothers Farms
7. Equifruit
8. The Fruitist Company
9. Gold Cup Fresh
10. GoodFarms
11. Homegrown Organic Farms
12. McEntire Produce
13. Misionero
14. Naturipe
15. NatureSweet
16. Pacific Produce
17. POM Wonderful
18. Peterson Farms Family of Companies
19. Red Sun Farms
20. Stemilt Growers
21. Sun Belle
22. Tanimura & Antle
23. Taylor Farms
24. West Pak Avocado
25. William H. Kopke Jr.
26. Windset Farms®
During the event, EFI recognized GoodFarms, Stemilt and Windset for their outstanding leadership and early commitment to field-level social responsibility. Their active engagement in ECIP serves as a model for others in the industry, and they were commended for their forward-thinking approach to labor management.
As ECIP continues to grow, EFI is poised to expand the program’s impact, helping more companies adopt ethical labor practices and elevate and add platform functionality to promote social responsibility within the fresh produce industry. The success of the program in its first year, with the continued support of industry leaders, marks a significant step toward building a more sustainable, people-centered food supply chain.
For more information about tools and resources available through ECIP, or to get involved in the program, visit ethicalcharterprogram.org. For more information about EFI, visit equitablefood.org.
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About EFI
Equitable Food Initiative is a capacity-building and certification nonprofit that works to improve the lives of farmworkers and drive business performance by integrating worker voice and engagement throughout the supply chain. As a multistakeholder organization, EFI brings together growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumers to create assessment, training and organizational development programs that support continuous improvement and address the industry’s most pressing problems. For more information about Equitable Food Initiative, visit equitablefood.org.
About the Ethical Charter
The Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices provides an industry framework for accountability and transparency related to respect for laws at work, respect for professional conduct and respect for human rights in the production and purchase of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. It was adopted in 2018 by the Produce Marketing Association and the United Fresh Produce Association (now combined to form the International Fresh Produce Association) after a committee of suppliers and buyers defined the common baseline to ensure everyone in the industry is treated with dignity and respect.
About ECIP
The Ethical Charter Implementation Program is a collaboration among retailers, grower-shippers and implementing organizations to recognize and strengthen engagement around labor practices
in the fresh produce industry, highlight existing best-practice efforts and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. The program is built around self-assessment to avoid the burden of an
additional audit. Through an assessment tool and capacity-building resources, it helps measure and strengthen alignment with the principles of the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor
Practices. Launched with initial funding from the Walmart Foundation and administered by Equitable Food Initiative and The Sustainability Consortium, the program is overseen by an
advisory group composed of leading buyers and suppliers and key stakeholders, including representatives from AgSocio, Bonduelle Fresh Americas, Costco, Kroger, McDonald’s USA, Naturipe, Sam’s Club, Tanimura & Antle, Target, Taylor Farms and Walmart. More information about the program can be found at ethicalcharterprogram.org.