WASHINGTON – To build awareness of the Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured® label, Equitable Food Initiative is partnering with Costco Wholesale on a two-week promotion in California, Oregon and Washington state. The campaign runs through July 5 with the goal of driving consumers to purchase EFI-certified fruits and vegetables at participating Costco warehouses.
“From the beginning Costco has been a strong partner for EFI, supporting safer and healthier workplaces for farmworkers, which is why we’re excited to educate shoppers on the meaning behind the EFI label and Costco’s commitment to worker and food safety,” stated LeAnne Ruzzamenti, director of marketing and communications for Equitable Food Initiative. “To further this important message, EFI will donate sun protection equipment to field workers for purchases made during the promotion.”
Promotional activities include outreach to online influencers, bloggers and editors and an online consumer contest encouraging Costco shoppers to photograph and post photos of EFI-labeled produce using #GrowtheGood. More information on the sweepstakes is at www.equitablefood.org/sweeps.
Participating EFI-certified growers and products include:
· Alpine Fresh – French beans
· Andrew & Williamson/GoodFarms – strawberries
· Houweling’s Tomatoes – tomatoes and cucumbers
· Keystone Fruit Marketing – Walla Walla onions
· Windset Farms – tomatoes and cucumbers
Sharon Palmer, author, dietitian and food blogger, will host a Facebook Live segment on Thursday, June 27 at 6 p.m. at the Costco warehouse in Marina del Rey, California. Palmer will interview participating EFI-certified growers and showcase participating EFI-labeled products. Palmer’s blog, The Plant-Powered Dietitian, has over 170,000 members; she has written two plant-based diet books, and her articles have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Prevention and Los Angeles Times.
“What’s good for farmworkers provides benefits to the entire supply chain, which is why we support the EFI program,” stated Jeff Lyons, senior vice president for fresh foods at Costco Wholesale. “Improving conditions in the field and fully engaging farmworkers in the ways that EFI does helps to deliver a safer and better product for our members.”
Costco was a founding member and is a participating retailer in Equitable Food Initiative. The retailer has paid more than $6.5 million in bonuses to farmworkers through the EFI program.
For more information on EFI, visit www.equitablefood.org/growthegood.
About EFI
Equitable Food Initiative is a nonprofit certification and skill-building organization that seeks to increase transparency in the food supply chain and improve the lives of farmworkers through a team-based approach to training and continuous improvement practices. EFI brings together growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumers to solve the most pressing issues facing the fresh produce industry. Its unparalleled approach sets standards for labor practices, food safety and pest management while engaging workers at all levels on the farm to produce Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured™ fruits and vegetables. For more information about Equitable Food Initiative, visit www.equitablefood.org.
View a list of EFI-certified farms at https://equitablefood.org/efi-certified-farms.
