YAKIMA, Wash. – Broetje Orchards has announced it has been certified compliant with Safe Quality Food Institute’s Ethical Sourcing (ES) module. Broetje was among the first companies to undergo the audit and the first in its region to be certified compliant.
The ES module addresses three areas: social accountability (equal opportunity in hiring and employment, wage compliance, worker benefits and occupational health and safety); regulatory compliance (monitoring, corrective actions, and records); and, environmental management programs (including energy use, air emissions, water consumption, waste management, pollution prevention, land use and biodiversity).
“Consumer demand for transparency has been building,” noted Keith Mathews, CEO of FirstFruits Marketing, the exclusive distributor of Broetje Orchards fruit. “For our customers and consumers alike, we welcome the opportunity for third-party validation of Broetje’s commitment to responsible social and environmental practices.”
In response to industry demands for simplifying the verification of sustainability claims, ES was created by combining two SQF modules (RSP, REP), retailer standards and the Global Social Compliance Program (GSCP). In June 2008, Broetje performed pilot-testing of RSP and REP on behalf of their creator, Dr. Richard Baines. The three year Broetje pilot was instrumental in developing standards for today’s ES compliance module.
“Although the certification does not capture the full range of nonprofit activities Broetje has developed and supported over the years, the ES certification is one objective measurement of our progress,” said Jim Hazen, Business Manager at Broetje Orchards. “Perhaps most importantly, the ES module provides an objective yardstick by which we can measure continuous improvement of our policies and practices.”
ES is one module developed by SQF for the verification of sustainability. The SQF program is operated by SQF Institute, which is owned by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). The module is available at http://www.sqfi.com/Ethical_Sourcing_Module.pdf. Additional information is available at www.fmi.org. ES is a voluntary supplement to the SQF 2000 audit, a HACCP supplier assurance standard for the manufacturing sector.
FirstFruits Marketing is a collaborative apple marketing company owned by growers. These growers share a commitment to producing high quality fruit while balancing the demands of purpose, people, planet and profit so that a portion of profits can be donated to non-profit missions supporting the underserved. For more Information, visit www.firstfruits.com.
Source: FirstFruits Marketing
