$25 Million in Worker Bonuses and Growing Industry Impact
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: LeAnne R. Ruzzamenti, (202) 524-0540, media@equitablefood.org
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2025 – Equitable Food Initiative, the workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumer advocacy groups, is proudly celebrating its 10-year anniversary as a nonprofit committed to transforming and improving labor practices across the fresh produce industry.
Since its founding, EFI has worked with 90 farming operations across five countries, improving working conditions for at least 65,000 farmworkers. Through training programs that emphasize communication, conflict resolution and continuous improvement, nearly 5,000 workers have been equipped with critical leadership skills, building a culture of collaboration that benefits both workers and businesses.
When partners, pioneers and advocates from across the supply chain were asked to reflect on the organization’s impact, their responses were a testament to the power of its collaborative model.
“EFI has used its platform to find new ways to meet the ever-evolving needs of the industry,” shared Melinda Goodman, president of FullTilt Marketing.
“There are no sides, only the upside of strengthening the very fabric of our labor and supply chain systems.” Maisie Ganzler, former EFI board member and sustainability author, added, “EFI truly transformed what many saw as competing interests into a collaborative model where everyone is valued and everyone wins.”
Over the past decade, EFI has helped deliver more than $25 million in worker bonuses, reinforcing its belief that safe, high-quality food begins with a skilled and empowered workforce.
The organization has also elevated farmworkers’ voices at trade shows, in legislative hearings and at the design table for new industry programs.
Additional champions highlighted the transformational effect EFI has had on business culture and performance. Jane Kuhn, director of sustainability at Once Upon a Farm, explained, “EFI is not a ‘check box’ exercise, rather an invitation to elevate worker expertise and continuously improve year after year.”
Stemilt Growers president West Mathison added that “EFI has been an invaluable asset to us helping us improve our teamwork, engagement and outcomes as a company, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they will continue to broaden the impact to more growers.”
In partnership with industry leaders, EFI also helped create and launch the Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP), introducing the LAB (Learn, Assess and Benchmark) platform to strengthen employer engagement around labor practices.
Within its first year, ECIP has reached nearly half the suppliers selling produce in North America, signaling strong demand for tools that support responsible labor practices.
EFI sees opportunities to create more stability and improve efficiencies and farmworker well-being by professionalizing the agricultural workforce and increasing worker engagement across the supply chain. As a farm labor thought leader in agriculture, EFI is helping the produce industry unlock the full value of its most essential asset – its people.
To learn more 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 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 challenges. For more information about Equitable Food Initiative, visit equitablefood.org.
