How to Earn the Supplier Gold Star
Unlike the Grower Gold Star, which is based on approved third-party certifications, for the duration of Engagement 2.0, Supplier Gold Star is awarded for accurate and comprehensive supply chain size reporting.
This new recognition builds on each supplier’s continuous improvement journey, helping retail partners understand the breadth of each supplier’s social responsibility efforts.
When retailers view supplier profiles on the Buyer Dashboard, they assess engagement in the context of the supply chain’s size. They recognize that supporting a larger network of growers brings added complexity.
Required Steps
To earn the Supplier Gold Star, suppliers must verify, report and attest to the total number of qualified growers in their supply chain.
A qualified grower is any unique farming operation (including third-party and company-owned operations) that employs workers directly or through Farm Labor Contractors to produce goods for the supplier organization. This number is reported in the Company Profile. This should exclude any growers used only for short-term, spot or emergency purchases.
Required Actions
To receive the Gold Star, suppliers must complete the following actions:
Verify the total number of qualified growers using one of the two methods outlined below
Update the grower count in the Company Profile with this verified number
Attest that the verification process has been completed
Agree to provide supporting documentation if requested
Verification Steps (Choose 1)
- Payment System: Verify qualified grower count in the Company Profile by using the payment system purchase records from the last 12 months and adding in vertically-integrated farming operations
- Food Safety Documents: Verify qualified grower count in the Company Profile by cross-referencing the full supply chain food safety audit and certification documents from the last 12 months
Attestation (Required)
Agreement: Attest that the process has been completed and that the grower count in the Company Profile represents the entire supply chain of qualified growers. Agree to provide supporting documentation if requested.