The Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP) recognizes and celebrates growers who hold social responsibility certifications. As part of this effort, The Sustainability Consortium has benchmarked 16 certification programs, confirming their alignment with the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices. Growers who hold one of these certifications receive free access to ECIP LAB and automatically achieve the highest engagement score on the platform.
SCS Global’s Sustainably Grown certification is among the certification programs recognized by ECIP. Read on to explore how this certification works and its connection to the Ethical Charter principles.
What is Sustainably Grown Certification?
Sustainably Grown started in 2009 as the Sustainable Agriculture Practice Standard, and evolved into a globally recognized certification program that prioritizes sustainability for people, growers and the environment. Today, Sustainably Grown-certified products span across North America, South America, Europe, and Africa and includes salad greens, tree nuts, onions, strawberries, oil seeds, table grapes, pomegranates, bananas, olives and pineapple.
More than just a certification, Sustainably Grown provides a framework for agricultural growers to assess their environmental and social impacts while celebrating their sustainability achievements.
The program’s Ethical Stewardship section closely aligns with the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices, ensuring that growers uphold fair treatment of workers and safe workplace conditions. During the certification process, growers are evaluated against the guiding principles of the Ethical Charter. If discrepancies are identified, growers are able to make necessary corrections to ensure ongoing compliance. This alignment helps reinforce a fair and sustainable agricultural industry while providing growers with a clear framework for continuous improvement.
Three Pillars of Sustainably Grown
Business Integrity – This section ensures that a grower’s organizational structure aligns with principles of transparency and accountability. It includes management systems, legal compliance, traceability, accounting and product quality and safety standards.
Sustainable Farming Practices – This section addresses the environmental aspects of farming, covering key areas such as soil conservation, water stewardship, climate change mitigation, air quality management, biodiversity protection, energy efficiency and waste reduction. Growers must demonstrate sustainable crop and pest management practices that minimize environmental impact while maximizing resource efficiency.
Ethical Stewardship – This section focuses on worker protection and fair labor practices. It ensures that growers uphold equitable work hours, fair wages, and benefits while strictly prohibiting child labor, forced labor, and discrimination. Ethical Stewardship also includes measures to support collective bargaining, uphold safe working conditions, and mitigate risks to workers wherever possible.
Through the Sustainably Grown certification, growers are not only recognized for their commitment to sustainability but are also empowered to implement meaningful change, ensuring that agricultural practices support both environmental health and social well-being.
If you’re interested in learning more about the certification process or have any questions, reach out to Alex Judd, Program Manager for SCS Global.