EFI Certification Standards
EFI’s comprehensive social responsibility certification requirements include over 300 certification standards, covering everything from ethical labor practices and IPM to fostering a culture of food safety.
Certification Process
The Equitable Food Initiative Certification requires a comprehensive audit by a third-party certifying body that applies broadly to all fruit and vegetable crops and can be customized to address labor conditions, food safety and pest management to best fit the operations needs.
The EFI Certification Standards are created and reviewed by a multistakeholder group. Members of the EFI Certification Standards Committee represent the following organizations: AgSocio, GoodFarms, Consumer Federation of America, ELEVATE, Farmworker Justice, Misionero, National Center for Appropriate Technology, Pesticide Action Network North America and United Farm Workers.
Customized Audit Approach
EFI streamlines the certification process by tailoring the Audit Scope to the operations’ business. This ensures every audit is relevant, efficient, and meets specific customer standards.
EFI Certification Documents
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Support Documentation for Operations
EFI Certification Standards
The Certification Standards, Guidance and Interpretations (EFI Standards) provide standards and indicators that must be met to receive and maintain EFI certification. They also give guidance and interpretations for Auditors, Growers and Worker-Manager Collaboration (WMC) Teams on each indicator, to support the quality and consistency of the auditing and certifying process by clarifying performance thresholds.
Operations should read these documents in conjunction with EFI’s Certification Program Summary. Certifying Bodies should read these documents in conjunction with EFI’s Certification Program Requirements.
Processing & Packing Standards
The Processing & Packing Standards provide standards and indicators that must be met to receive and maintain EFI Certification for operations that have in-scope processing or packing operations. It also gives guidance and interpretations for Auditors, Growers and Worker-Manager Collaboration (WMC) Teams on each indicator, to support the quality and consistency of the auditing and certifying process by clarifying performance thresholds.
Culture of Food Safety Standards Addendum
The EFI Culture of Food Safety Addendum applies for all growers seeking to certify to EFI’s Social Standards. The growers must also provide an active GFSI-benchmarked food safety certificate.
Ethical Charter Addendum
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The EFI Ethical Charter Addendum assesses supplier compliance with the principles advanced in the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices that are not specifically addressed by the EFI Social Standards. The ECA is audited in conjunction with the EFI Social Standards when requested by the Grower. While most provisions of the Ethical Charter are already covered by EFI Social Standards, the ECA explicitly covers all additional provisions that were not included.
Additional Diligence Protocols
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The Additional Diligence Protocols outlines procedures for nonconformities that risk the safety of individuals or the rigor of the audit or certification processes, defined as Triggering Conditions in the policy.
Summary & Guidance Documentation for Operations
Certification Program Summary
The EFI Certification Program Summary covers the requirements of the EFI certification program that have direct impact on Growers, and describes the requirements for those in the supply chain handling EFI-certified product who wish to make a claim about the product.
Certifying Bodies should read this document in conjunction with EFI Certification Requirements.
Commodity Schedule and List of Buying Partners
The Commodity Schedule lists the Certification Premium by commodity and participating buyers with effective dates.
EFI Certification Statuses
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Defines the statuses that can be applied to locations while obtaining or maintaining EFI Certification.
Complaint Management System
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The Complaint Management System is designed to capture, investigate and, where appropriate, remediate issues that are not satisfactorily addressed through other escalation processes.