Childhood nutrition brand Once Upon a Farm has announced a partnership with Equitable Food Initiative (EFI).
Through this collaboration, Once Upon a Farm is committing to source and pay premiums on produce from EFI-certified suppliers, according to a news release.
The brand said it has set a goal to source 7 million pounds of organic produce from EFI-certified suppliers, covering an estimated 30% of ingredients purchased for its core portfolio in 2024. Premiums are directed to nonsalaried farm employees as a bonus in recognition of their essential role and to reward workers for the extra training and diligence they bring to the fields through the EFI Program, the release said.
“At Once Upon a Farm, we believe that to drive the systemic improvements in childhood nutrition we are committed to, we must also drive systemic improvements to how our food is grown, picked, and produced,” said Once Upon a Farm co-founder and CEO John Foraker. “A healthy food system begins with healthy farmworkers.”
EFI says it partners with stakeholders across the food system to transform agriculture and the lives of farmworkers via training and premiums backed by audited third-party certification.
EFI brings many stakeholders in the supply chain together to integrate worker voices in addressing the industry’s pressing issues, including labor, sustainability and food safety. While the core of EFI is about a culture of continuous improvement, the certification provides third-party assurance that workers are treated and paid fairly and engaged to produce the safest, highest quality food possible, the release said.
“Multi-ingredient consumer goods often have opaque supply chains, not by choice, but rather as a by-product of their complexity,” Foraker said. “We use over 110 different ingredients in our products, from suppliers big and small. Given the diversity in our supply chain, there is not a one-size-fits-all model for responsible sourcing but Once Upon a Farm believes complexity should not equal complacency. We have an opportunity to see farmworkers as true partners in our mission to create safe, healthy products that parents trust. We also have an opportunity to be honest about the challenges and imperfections, so that we can work collectively with others in the industry on how to improve.”
Partnering with EFI is where the company can have the largest, most immediate impact within its supply chain, the release said. The company said is committed to expanding the prevalence of EFI practices within its supply chain over time. It is the first, material step within a larger initiative to advance equitable sourcing, the release said.
“Everyone deserves safe, healthy, and respectful working conditions — farmworkers included,” said Jane Kuhn, director of sustainability at Once Upon a Farm. “This isn’t just an ethical imperative, it’s a business imperative. Farmworker well-being translates into better product quality and food safety. It’s also part of our commitment to foster a better world for parents and children. More than 50% of farmworkers are parents themselves. Prioritizing farmworker well-being through fair wages and adequate resources can have positive ripple effects on their households, fostering a healthier and more supportive environment for their children.”
“As the first CPG company to make this type of commitment, Once Upon a Farm is exhibiting its visionary leadership and putting its values into action,” LeAnne Ruzzamenti, director of marketing and communications for EFI, said in the release. “In both supporting the companies who have made commitments to their workers and paying the premium to fund the worker bonus, Once Upon a Farm is carving a new path for the food system and directly benefiting the workers at the heart of our industry.”
A defining trait of EFI farms is the worker-manager collaborative teams through which farmworkers and managers continually collaborate to identify and address food safety and social accountability issues, the release said. This approach seeks to break down hierarchical silos and give workers a voice in farming operations. By training and equipping farmworkers and growers to reduce food safety risks and health hazards in the fields, EFI says it creates higher levels of assurance that add value throughout the fresh produce system.
Stemilt Growers, a Washington grower, packer, and shipper of apples, pears, cherries, and stone fruit, has certified all its owned operations with EFI. Yadira Vargas, a worker in Stemilt’s Quincy orchard, shared, “EFI is about providing a safe environment for farmworkers, and allowing consumers to have transparency about what they’re eating.” Vargas said in the release that serving on the worker-manager collaboration team has “been a good opportunity to work with my coworkers and listen to the ideas they have. It’s rewarding to then go back to the team and work on a solution.”
