PRESS RELEASE
Please direct media inquiries to media@equitablefood.org or 202.524.0540.
Equitable Food Initiative has launched a new website, www.equitablefood.org, that highlights how the organization is bringing together stakeholders across the produce supply chain to create a culture of continuous improvement and to raise standards for food safety, farmworker communication and collaboration.
Available in both English and Spanish, the website highlights the organization’s achievements and ways for growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumers to engage with EFI. The new site documents results of the EFI certification program since it began four years ago, summarized by an Impact Evaluation Report from BSD Consulting. Also featured is the award-winning video series “Cultivating Voices” that was produced to show the impact of the EFI workforce development program on farmworkers and organizational success.
LeAnne Ruzzamenti, director of marketing and communications for EFI, commented, “It was important for us to improve the user experience and bring clarity to what we do. The new site is much easier to navigate. It puts the most important information up front in a more engaging and interactive way.”
“We are at a critical moment where consumers are demanding more information and transparency to help them make purchase decisions that align with their values,” remarked Peter O’Driscoll, executive director of EFI. “Our new website offers background to consumers about the value and meaning of our Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured™ label, but also shares first-hand testimonials from farmworkers, growers and other stakeholders. This site helps everyone in the supply chain understand EFI’s role in transforming agriculture through our workforce development and certification process.”
Included on the website is the list of all certified farms and their locations. To date, EFI has certified 27 farming operations of 10 grower-shipper companies, covering 39 produce commodities and impacting more than 29,000 farmworkers in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“We’re proud of what we have been able to accomplish in a very short period of time. The new website allows us to tell our story in a more impactful and meaningful way,” stated Ruzzamenti. “It’s also mobile-friendly, so visitors can easily access the information from any device.”
About EFI
Equitable Food Initiative is a nonprofit certification and skill-building organization that seeks to increase transparency in the food supply chain and improve the lives of farmworkers through a team-based approach to training and continuous improvement practices. EFI brings together growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumers to solve the most pressing issues facing the fresh produce industry. Its unparalleled approach sets standards for labor practices, food safety and pest management while engaging workers at all levels on the farm to produce Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured™ fruits and vegetables. For more information about Equitable Food Initiative, visit www.equitablefood.org.
