Top Retailers Honor Leading Suppliers at ECIP Event
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 more than 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 Oct. 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 a 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 Nov. 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:
- AMFRESH North America
- Ayco Farms
- Bonduelle
- Bostock North America
- Bridges Organic Produce
- Church Brothers Farms
- Equifruit
- The Fruitist Company
- Gold Cup Fresh
- GoodFarms
- Homegrown Organic Farms
- McEntire Produce
- Misionero
- Naturipe
- NatureSweet
- Pacific Produce
- POM Wonderful
- Peterson Farms Family of Companies
- Red Sun Farms
- Stemilt Growers
- Sun Belle
- Tanimura & Antle
- Taylor Farms
- West Pak Avocado
- William H. Kopke Jr.
- 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.