WASHINGTON – The Equitable Food Initiative (EFI), a nonprofit organization that brings together workers, growers and retailers to produce safer, more responsibly grown fruits and vegetables, today announced that it has reached a milestone as NatureSweet’s plant in San Isidro, Mexico, becomes the 10th EFI-certified facility.
This milestone is significant as 4,689 agricultural workers now work on EFI-certified facilities in which Leadership Teams representing labor and management provide continuous verification of compliance with EFI standards. Of the 10 certified facilities, EFI has trained a total of 222 Leadership Team members, 45 percent of whom are women.
EFI certified its first operation in 2014. In addition to the first 10 certified facilities, there are currently 15 more already in the training and audit process, and EFI expects to scale significantly in the coming years. By engaging farmworker unions, growers, retailers and consumer groups, EFI encourages open dialogue across all stakeholders in the produce industry to promote value-adding approaches to social responsibility and food safety.
“This 10th certification means that nearly 5,000 agricultural workers now have the training, tools and work environment to actively collaborate with management to provide higher levels of assurance to customers and consumers,” said Kenton Harmer, certification director at EFI. “Companies like NatureSweet are helping to pioneer a unique combination of people development and rigorous third-party verification.”
NatureSweet is a groundbreaking leader of the fresh tomato industry, driven through Unleashing the Power of People. EFI-labeled tomatoes from NatureSweet San Isidro adhere to EFI’s strict food safety standards, which are built on industry best practices for preventing and detecting contamination in the fresh produce supply chain.
“We are very excited in partnering with EFI to transform the lives of agricultural workers,” said Hector Espinosa, Best Company to Work For Director at NatureSweet San Isidro.
“Everywhere we go, we encounter agricultural workers, supervisors and managers who are eager to learn and proud of the work they do every day to produce safe, healthy food. For many agricultural workers, EFI trainings are a unique opportunity,” said Lilian Autler, workforce development specialist at EFI. “Over and over, I have watched Leadership Teams move from being a loose collection of people who happen to work in the same place, to becoming co-workers who know and trust each other, care about each other, and want to work together to improve their workplace.”
For more information on EFI, visit: http://www.equitablefood.org/.
For more information on NatureSweet, visit: https://naturesweet.com/.
About Equitable Food Initiative
The Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) brings together workers, growers and retailers to provide “Responsibly Grown. Farmworker Assured.™” fruits and vegetables. As produce farms comply with the EFI Standards — for improved working conditions, pest management, and food safety — the entire food system sees benefits, from farmworkers to businesses to agricultural communities and consumers.
Members of EFI’s multi-stakeholder board, which were instrumental in the development of the EFI Standards, include:
? Andrew and Williamson Fresh Produce International
? Bon Appe?tit Management Company
? Center for Science in the Public Interest
? Consumer Federation of America
? Costco Wholesale Corporation
? Farmworker Justice
? Farm Labor Organizing Committee
? Keystone Fruit Marketing, Inc.
? NatureSweet Tomatoes
? Oxfam America
? Pesticide Action Network North America
? Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste
? United Farm Workers
Website: http://www.equitablefood.org
Twitter: @EquitableFood
Facebook: facebook.com/EquitableFoodInitiative
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/equitable-food-initiative
Source: Equitable Food Initiative (EFI)
