WASHINGTON - The Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP) has released its first annual industry report, showcasing significant strides in supplier and grower engagement across the fresh produce supply chain.

Since the program’s launch by an industry advisory group and Equitable Food Initiative in November 2023, ECIP has enrolled more than 280 suppliers and nearly 1,100 farms on its platform, representing an unprecedented effort to build awareness, assess management systems, and foster continuous improvement in alignment with the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices.

Through ECIP’s Learn, Assess and Benchmark (LAB) platform, growers and suppliers access tailored components, Grower LAB and Supplier LAB, that guide them through self-evaluation, learning, and progress tracking. With privacy and continuous improvement at its core, ECIP has created a safe space for users to explore how their practices align with Ethical Charter principles.

“The report highlights the successful achievement of our year one objective: to initially engage a critical mass of suppliers and retailers in the program,” noted Peter O’Driscoll, executive director for Equitable Food Initiative. “Participants utilized ECIP LAB's self-assessments to evaluate their management systems, free from the pressure of an audit or external review, and that allowed them to access learning resources and prioritize areas for development.”

Of the 1,100 growers using Grower LAB, one-third submitted a current social responsibility certification from one of the 16 ECIP-approved programs, earning a gold star in their engagement profile. Nearly 800 of the farming operations that subscribed to Grower LAB had no prior experience with formal social responsibility audits or certifications.

“For the growers who haven’t experienced a codified workforce management, audit, or certification program, ECIP LAB provides a first-time opportunity to assess and improve labor practices using structured criteria and accessible tools,” said Kenton Harmer, director of market-based impact for Equitable Food Initiative. “Retail partners in ECIP are most interested in learning more about and supporting these growers to improve alignment with the Ethical Charter.”

Grower self-assessments revealed notable strengths in several areas. Many reported robust resources supporting:

• Occupational safety and health
• Wages and benefits
• Protection of children and young workers

At the same time, growers assessed a need for further development to support these Ethical Charter principles:

• Communication and worker protections
• Management systems and continuous improvement
• Ethical recruitment

In addition to summarizing the first year of activity in ECIP LAB, the first annual report shares insights and testimonials from participating retailers and highly engaged suppliers. Retailers share what they like about the program and why they are eager to support it, while suppliers point out the benefits of having a standardized approach to social responsibility in the industry.

“As we wrapped up year one, retailers gained access to the ECIP Buyer Dashboard which provides a ranking of the most engaged suppliers around labor practices based on their reporting within and use of ECIP LAB,” added Harmer. “Year two will be focused on driving deeper engagement so that growers and suppliers can best utilize ECIP LAB to showcase their social responsibility efforts to buyers – stay tuned for updates to the platform in mid-July!”

To access the full report, visit ethicalcharterprogram.org/ecip-annual-report.