ECIP Leadership Circle Nearly Doubles in 2 Years as Suppliers Step Forward on Responsible Labor Practices
October 21, 2026 | 4 min to read
WASHINGTON – The Ethical Charter Implementation Program, administered by Equitable Food Initiative with generous support from the Walmart Foundation, celebrated 51 fresh produce suppliers that met ECIP Leadership Circle criteria early in this year’s engagement cycle during a reception at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show. This year’s cohort is 40% larger than last year’s and has nearly doubled since the Leadership Circle debuted in 2024, even as the criteria have become more demanding each year.
ECIP, introduced in 2023, helps the fresh produce and floral industry put the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices into action across the supply chain. The Leadership Circle was formed in 2024 to recognize suppliers that meet the program’s criteria early in each engagement cycle. Each new cycle raises the bar, so the cohort’s growth reflects both broader industry adoption and deeper commitment from participating suppliers.
This year, earning a place in the Leadership Circle requires all four green stars in a supplier’s engagement profile, a substantial undertaking. To earn the stars, suppliers had to assess their own labor management practices, build and submit a continuous improvement action plan, accurately account for and verify the full scope of their grower network, and bring a majority of those growers into active engagement with the program. Together, the stars show that a supplier is examining its own operations and driving responsible labor practices across its supply chain.
“ECIP is an important program to Walmart and Sam’s Club and the momentum the program has seen in just a few short years is promising,” said Laura Himes, vice president, produce sourcing for Walmart. “The suppliers recognized in the 2027 Leadership Circle have shown a real commitment to continuous improvement, and we’re proud to celebrate the work they’re doing.”
Read the full list of companies that have earned a spot in the 2027 Leadership Circle.
Also noteworthy is that most Leadership Circle suppliers went beyond the required criteria and earned the gold star for ethical recruitment leadership. This star is earned when a significant majority of growers in the supplier’s network demonstrate their active engagement in ethical recruitment practices.
The event held during the Global Show brought together nearly 200 suppliers, retailers and industry stakeholders and was co-presented by Stemilt Growers and Windset Farms®, with supporting sponsors GLC Cerritos, GoodFarms, Tanimura & Antle and Topline Farms. During the celebration, representatives from Costco, Kroger, Walmart and Sam’s Club spoke about why the program matters to their businesses and celebrated the work of the 2027 Leadership Circle suppliers.
“Every year ECIP raises the bar on what it takes to qualify, and every year more companies meet that bar,” said Kenton Harmer, director of market-based impact for EFI. “This cohort shows that suppliers and growers are working together in a shared commitment to responsible labor practices across the supply chain.”
Suppliers can qualify for the Leadership Circle on a rolling basis throughout the 2027 engagement period. To learn more, visit ethicalcharterprogram.org/LC.
About ECIP
The Ethical Charter Implementation Program is a collaboration among retailers, grower-shippers and implementing organizations to recognize and strengthen engagement around labor practices in the fresh produce industry, highlight existing best-practice efforts and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. The program is built around self-assessment to avoid the burden of an additional audit. Through an assessment tool and capacity-building resources, it helps measure and strengthen alignment with the principles of the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices. Launched with initial funding from the Walmart Foundation and administered by Equitable Food Initiative, the program is overseen by an advisory group composed of leading buyers and suppliers and key stakeholders, including representatives from Bonduelle Fresh Americas, Costco Wholesale, Kroger, Mastronardi Produce, McDonald’s USA, Naturipe, Peterson Farms Family of Companies, Sam’s Club, Sysco, Tanimura & Antle, Target, Taylor Farms and Walmart.
About the Ethical Charter
The Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices provides an industry framework for accountability and transparency related to respect for laws at work, respect for professional conduct and respect for human rights in the production and purchase of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. It was adopted in 2018 by the Produce Marketing Association and the United Fresh Produce Association (now combined to form the International Fresh Produce Association) after a committee of suppliers and buyers defined the common baseline to ensure everyone in the industry is treated with dignity and respect.
About ECIP LAB – Learn, Assess and Benchmark
ECIP LAB, an online platform designed by Equitable Food Initiative for growers, suppliers and buyers, creates engagement with and alignment to the principles of the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices throughout the produce supply chain. Suppliers and their growers are invited by their retail buyers to use this interactive tool to assess current practices and management systems, access resources and review information around best practices. An engagement profile tracks each grower’s and supplier’s ongoing interaction with the tool to encourage and support continuous improvement. Suppliers and their retail customers will see aggregated, anonymized data from their supply chain
About Equitable Food Initiative
Equitable Food Initiative is a capacity-building and certification nonprofit that works to improve the lives of farmworkers and drive business performance by integrating worker engagement throughout the supply chain. As a multistakeholder organization, EFI brings together growers, farmworkers and retailers to create assessment, training and organizational development programs that support continuous improvement and address the industry’s most pressing challenges.