WASHINGTON - On behalf of the Ethical Charter Implementation Program Advisory Group, Equitable Food Initiative announces the approval of 16 third-party certification programs whose standards align with the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices and, therefore, qualify growers participating in ECIP to earn a gold star and free access to the LAB platform.

The Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP) launched the LAB (learn, assess, and benchmark) online platform in November 2023 to highlight existing strong labor practices and identify opportunities for continuous improvement in other areas. Through an assessment tool and capacity-building resources, ECIP helps measure and strengthen grower alignment with the principles of the Ethical Charter. Created by an initial investment from the Walmart Foundation, and administered by the Equitable Food Initiative, ECIP is overseen by a multistakeholder Advisory Group of retailers, suppliers, and industry groups.

The 16 ECIP-recognized certification programs, benchmarked by The Sustainability Consortium, have been evaluated to ensure that compliance with their standards demonstrates alignment with the Ethical Charter. By adhering to the approved certification program standards, growers demonstrate their commitment to field-level social responsibility, a critical step in strengthening labor practices across the industry.

According to a press release, introduction of the Ethical Charter in 2018 was defined as the beginning of a cross-industry process to ensure that people throughout the supply chain are treated with dignity and respect. Recognizing the 16 approved certification programs in the ECIP LAB platform is a critical step toward recognizing strong labor practices and building employer capacity to implement management systems that uphold worker dignity, as the authors of the Ethical Charter intended.

Reflecting on its progress during its first year, Peter O’Driscoll, Executive Director of Equitable Food Initiative, shares, “ECIP provides a valuable resource for all industry stakeholders to assess and improve labor management systems at the field level. As growers respond to the labor shortage by strengthening retention incentives, those who have invested in third-party certification deserve the market recognition that ECIP LAB highlights for their retail and food service customers.”

Growers pay a $200 annual subscription to ECIP LAB, granting them access to a suite of tools and resources designed to promote ethical labor practices and assess their progress. However, growers certified through one of the 16 approved certification programs do not pay any subscription fee for as long as their certification remains valid, thereby incentivizing their participation in ECIP LAB by recognizing the significant investments they have already made in achieving and maintaining credible certifications.

Roberta Anderson, President of GLOBAL G.A.P. North America, highlights the value of ECIP’s approach: “Benchmarking these certifications was a critical step to ensure requirements are harmonized and the burden on producers is reduced. Whether a producer is wanting to become certified or is already certified, engaging in ECIP LAB provides support for continuous improvement.”

The following field-level certifications have been benchmarked by The Sustainability Consortium and demonstrate alignment with Ethical Charter principles through on-site audits. Growers certified in any of the approved programs receive a free subscription to ECIP LAB and a gold star in their ECIP engagement profile. Certified growers are encouraged, but not required, to complete the ECIP LAB assessment questionnaire of 54 management systems that align to principles in the Ethical Charter and earn them additional green stars in their engagement profile.

As the release went on to note, the following 16 certification programs have been benchmarked to align with the Ethical Charter:

• RCGS Ethical Trade and Responsible Sourcing (ETRS)
• Clearview
• Equitable Food Initiative with the Ethical Charter Addendum
• Fair Food Program
• Fair for Life
• Fair Trade International
• Fair Trade USA
• Florverde Sustainable Flowers
• GLOBALG.A.P: IFA plus GRASP add-on
• Kenya Flower Council – Gold or Silver
• MPS-Socially Qualified (SQ)
• Rainforest Alliance
• SA8000 – Social Accountability International
• SIZA – Sustainability Initiative of South Africa
• SMETA – Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit
• Sustainably Grown

By promoting benchmarked certifications and waiving fees for certified growers, ECIP underscores its commitment to responsible labor practices while reducing barriers to participation. This initiative helps the produce industry maintain high labor standards while supporting growers’ continuous improvement in their social responsibility practices.