The Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP)

The Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP) is a collaboration among retailers/buyers, grower-shippers and implementing organizations to recognize and strengthen engagement around labor practices in the fresh produce industry, highlight existing best-practice efforts, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. Through an assessment tool and capacity building resources, ECIP helps measure and strengthen alignment with the principles of the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices. Launched with initial funding from the Walmart Foundation and administered by the Equitable Food Initiative and The Sustainability Consortium, ECIP is overseen by an Advisory Group composed of leading buyers, suppliers and key stakeholders:

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About ECIP

The Program includes two main components: 

ECIP LAB
ECIP LAB (Learn, Assess & Benchmark) enables each grower and supplier to assess current practices and management systems, access resources and review information for best practices through a self-guided interactive platform.
ECIP Marketplace

Set to launch on November 1, the ECIP Marketplace will feature expert consultants and service providers to help address complex issues identified as growers and suppliers use the ECIP LAB. 

Data Visibility & Use
ECIP LAB provides a confidential space where growers capture and monitor their progress in aligning to the Ethical Charter. The grower’s engagement profile is shared with suppliers. Annually, ECIP will aggregate grower and supplier responses across each Ethical Charter principle to support the industry in strengthening its alignment to the Charter.
Growers are invited to ECIP by suppliers to assess their labor practices and management systems through ECIP’s interactive tool, ECIP LAB.

Suppliers are invited to ECIP by buyers and receive aggregated and anonymized data of their growers using ECIP LAB.

Buyers concerned with ethical supply chains invite their suppliers to ECIP. They can monitor engagement within their supply chains via ECIP LAB.

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 voice and 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 problems. For more information about Equitable Food Initiative, visit equitablefood.org