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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Walmart helped develop the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices. We have endorsed it ourselves and encouraged our suppliers to do the same. We aim to source 100% of Walmart U.S. fresh produce and floral products from suppliers who have endorsed this Industry framework and encourage them and their growers to engage in the Ethical Charter Implementation Program to further strengthen their labor practices and demonstrate the good work they are already doing.
ECIP reflects the power of industry collaboration to advance meaningful changes for people and our planet. We’re pleased to help scale this capacity-building work that prioritizes meeting growers where they are in their journey and offering practical resources and guidance to help enhance labor practices.
The Ethical Charter Implementation Program will give our supply chain the ability to showcase our alignment with the Ethical Charter principles and meet our customers’ expectations without undertaking the burden of audit or certification.
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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.
The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) is a global non-profit organization transforming the consumer goods industry to deliver more sustainable consumer products. We work to enable a world where people can lead fulfilled lives in a way that decouples their impacts on people and the planet. Our members and partners include manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, service providers, NGOs, civil society organizations, governmental agencies, and academics. TSC’s research and methodology power the THESIS performance assessment system.