The Ethical Charter Implementation Program, an industry initiative designed to implement the principles outlined in the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices, released the findings of its first annual industry report. ECIP said this report shows growing awareness and engagement.
An industry advisory group and Equitable Food Initiative launched the program in November 2023. Since its launch, ECIP said it enrolled more than 280 suppliers and nearly 1,100 farms on its platform.
“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.
ECIP said of the 1,100 growers using its Learn, Assess and Benchmark program to access tailored components, self-evaluation and more, one-third submitted a current social responsibility certification from one of the 16 ECIP-approved programs. And, nearly 8,000 of the farming operations that subscribed to the Grower LAB had no prior experience with formal social responsibility audits or certifications.
ECIP said its grower self-assessments revealed notable strengths and resources supporting:
- Occupational safety and health
- Wages and benefits
- Protection of children and young workers
Growers also assessed a need for further development to support:
- Communication and worker protections
- Management systems and continuous improvement
- Ethical recruitment
ECIP said its report also shares insights and testimonials from participating retailers and suppliers.
“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,” Harmer said. “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.
