Following the 2014 Los Angeles Times “Product of Mexico” series on labor abuses in the agroexport sector, the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association formed a joint committee to create the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices. Published in 2018, the Charter outlines 13 principles to guide the management of agricultural labor, covering areas such as legal compliance, professional conduct and human rights.
While these principles established a strong and common foundation, they lacked a mechanism for enforcement or verification, leaving buyers no basis to determine which of their suppliers were actually upholding the Charter. Four retailers worked together to pilot several approaches to Ethical Charter implementation, and worked with their suppliers to launch ECIP in November 2023.
ECIP Historical Context Video
ECIP Introductory Webinar
ECIP is not a compliance test. It is a pre-competitive, capacity-building initiative designed to support buyers, suppliers and growers in a shared commitment to improving labor management systems across the fresh produce supply chain. The program was born from a collaborative industry effort to offer
a scalable, supplier-owned alternative to audits that supports continuous improvement. ECIP measures supplier and grower engagement rather than compliance. Through the ECIP LAB (Learn, Assess, Benchmark) platform, growers and suppliers are invited to:
Why Am I Being Asked to Participate in ECIP?
You may wonder why participation in ECIP is necessary, especially if you already hold a social responsibility certification. ECIP is designed to complement, not replace, existing certifications by providing additional support and resources to help you improve your labor management systems. Being active in ECIP provides your buyers with a single view of their supply chain. Plus, if your operation holds one of the following 16 benchmarked certifications, you receive free access to ECIP and earn a gold star, which is the highest form of engagement:
The Value of ECIP to Growers
How to Respond in the ECIP LAB Assess Channel
The Assess channel within ECIP LAB is designed to help you evaluate your current labor management systems and identify areas for improvement. When completing the assessment, it is important to provide honest and accurate responses. ECIP is not
a compliance tool, it is a learning tool that can guide you on your continuous improvement journey. The data collected through the self-assessment helps guide your priorities and your responses are never shared outside of your organization.
How Do I Earn Engagement Stars?
Both growers and suppliers earn stars through engaging with ECIP. Grower stars are visible to their suppliers, and supplier stars are visible to their retailers. Grower and suppliers can use the tools outlined below to grow their engagement score and earn more stars.
Growers:
Learning Channel
Up to two green stars are awarded for using tools available in the Learning Channel. Growers learn about the Ethical Charter principles, share the platform and information internally, create notes for reference, and set priorities for an action plan.
Assessment Channel
One star is awarded when growers have assessed each management system by using the provided resources, information-gathering from colleagues and the work- force, and selecting a credible current-state assessment. This star is maintained over time by reaffirming or rescoring each response at least annually.
Worker Assessment – Available Mid-2025
Because workers provide valuable assessment of a management system’s effective- ness, beginning in 2025, a star will be earned by completing an approved worker survey. Approved worker surveys will be available on the Marketplace on ethicalcharterprogram.org.
Certification
The gold, center star is awarded to growers who hold a valid, field-level certification with one of the approved programs. You can view the list of benchmarked certifications here (and listed above).
Suppliers:
Account Set Up
Maintaining an active subscription in ECIP LAB earns suppliers a single star in the engagement profile.
Supply Chain Onboarding
Providing an accurate count of growers in the supply chain unlocks the ability to earn this star, which is achieved when a significant percentage of them hold active ECIP Grower LAB subscriptions.
Supply Chain Engagement
This star is automatically awarded when a majority of growers in the supplier’s network have earned two or more stars in ECIP Grower LAB or the gold certification star.
Supplier Assessment & Endorsement
Two steps are required to earn this star. First, a supplier must officially endorse the Ethical Charter through the International Fresh Produce Association website. Second, the ECIP Supplier LAB assessment must be completed.
Gold Star
TBD – As an evolving program meant to support the industry to continuously strengthen labor practices, Supplier LAB will continue to expand. A multistakeholder process of growers, suppliers, and buyers will determine how the Supplier gold engagement star will be earned.
How is My Data Being Collected, Used and Stored?
Growers have access to their own data, but this information is aggregated and anonymized when reported to suppliers and buyers. This approach encourages honest self-assessment without fear of commercial repercussions, while also providing valuable insights into industry-wide labor practices. Data is used to track progress and identify trends within the industry, helping to shape future resources and support provided through ECIP. This aggregated, anonymous data is used to track engagement and improvement over time, helping to drive the continuous improvement process that is at the heart of ECIP.
Pricing Structure
To access ECIP LAB, each grower, supplier and buyer pays an annual subscription fee.
Growers pay $200 per year. If they are certified to an approved certification program, their subscription fee is waived for as long as their certificate is valid.
Suppliers’ fees are based on annual sales:
- Less than $10M: $1,800 per year
- $10-$50M: $3,600 per year
- $50-$250M: $6,000 per year
- $250-$999M: $7,200 per year
- More than $999M: $9,000 per year
FAQ
Visit our FAQ page for a full list of frequently asked questions.