Expanded audit capacity and new resources prioritize pollinator health during Pollinator Month
MEDIA RELEASE Contact: LeAnne R. Ruzzamenti, (202) 524-0540, gro.doofelbatiuqe@aidem
WASHINGTON, May 26, 2026 – Equitable Food Initiative, the workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumer groups, today announced a streamlined approach to auditing for integrated pest management standards. In addition, the organization offers a pollinator toolkit and upcoming webinars to share responsible production practices.
EFI along with the certifying bodies for its Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured certification joined forces to train and enable a team to audit both EFI’s social responsibility and IPM standards with a single auditor. SCS Global Services and LRQA now offer auditors who can check both sets of standards, reducing costs and the need for two auditors.
“IPM is a cornerstone of worker health and safety, significantly reducing pesticide exposure while protecting our ecosystems and pollinator health,” said LeAnne Ruzzamenti, director of marketing and communications for EFI. “By championing these practices in a way that simultaneously reduces costs for growers, we’re creating a more sustainable path forward for the entire supply chain. We are grateful to our auditing partners for helping make this efficiency a reality.”
A more efficient audit is particularly important as retailers continue to strengthen expectations around pollinator protection. “An important part of Whole Foods Market’s long-standing commitment to more-sustainable agriculture is recognizing the critical role pollinators play throughout the food system,” said Ann Marie Hourigan, head of quality standards at Whole Foods Market. “With one out of every three bites of food dependent on pollinators, this work is a necessity. We require all our fresh produce and floral growers to implement integrated pest management, reducing the need for chemical pesticides which can be harmful to pollinators. EFI’s IPM standards meet our requirement and help to ensure the future of food.”
With EFI’s custom audit approach and our specially trained team of auditors, growers can easily and cost effectively combine their social and IPM audits,” said Sandy Ledesman, program manager, sustainable agriculture for SCS Global Services. “These efforts truly underscore our mission to promote a more resilient agricultural sector where worker safety and ecological health are integrated into the core of every operation.”
“By streamlining our standards and reducing audit duplicity, we’ve made it easier and more cost-effective than ever for operations to add-on IPM standards into their EFI certification audit,” said Alexandra Martinez, senior digital marketing and sales associate for EFI. “This shift keeps pollinator health a central priority and arrives at the perfect moment to celebrate National Pollinator Month.”
EFI’s pollinator toolkit supports these efforts with a variety of education materials on pollinator health as well as a new series of IPM-focused webinars, which bring together growers, suppliers, retailers and industry experts to explore integrated pest management and its role in supporting pollinator health and social responsibility.
Upcoming webinars feature field-level application, pollinator health and alignment with retailer requirements, including sessions with Whole Foods Market. They aim to help operations meet retail requirements and achieve continuous improvement in agricultural operations.
- People and Pollinators: From the Field Up With Whole Foods Market | June 3, 2026, 10 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. EDT | Register Here
- People and Pollinators: Staying Committed to IPM With Whole Foods Market | June 24, 2026, 10 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. EDT | Register Here
On-demand webinar resources:
- IPM for People and Pollinators: EFI and Bee Better
- People and Pollinators: EFI Certification for Multiple Retailer Requirements
Through expanded audit capacity and ongoing education, EFI continues to advance an approach that connects people, pollinators and long-term agricultural resilience. To learn more about EFI’s IPM standards and register for upcoming webinars, 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 engagement throughout the supply chain. Committed to multistakeholder participation, EFI works with growers, farmworkers, retailers and experts to create assessment, training and organizational development programs that support continuous improvement and address agriculture’s most pressing challenges. For more information about Equitable Food Initiative, visit equitablefood.org.