Plainville, MA – Red Tomato, a nonprofit marketer of fresh produce for a network of Northeast family farms, is partnering with Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) on a pilot for mid-sized farms in the Northeast. EFI combines training and worker engagement with a certification and labeling program to address farm labor, food safety and pest management. Two farms in Red Tomato’s network will participate in the pilot during the 2017 growing season.
EFI’s approach is based on collaboration among workers, farmers, and retailers who support the farms by designating the grower as a preferred supplier. By creating on-farm leadership teams that include workers from all parts of the operation and focus on continuous improvement, the EFI certification addresses three areas:
- Labor standards; including worker health and safety, fair wages, benefits and conditions of employment, and protections for H2A workers.
- Sustainable agricultural practices; including an Integrated Pest Management approach to managing crops to minimize the use of highly hazardous pesticides.
- Food Safety standards; including proper handling, water use and traceability.
"Throughout our 20 year history, we’ve worked with our growers to understand the many issues surrounding farm labor,” notes Red Tomato Executive Director, Laura Edwards-Orr. “When we began discussions with EFI, growers in our network were especially interested in the worker training and empowerment component of the program. Farmers see value in food safety and lean management training that empowers their employees to improve product quality, but also workflow, farm productivity and profitability.”
“EFI has successfully brought assurance and systemic change to large-scale farms and is now excited to partner with Red Tomato to apply our training and certification model to their network of smaller, local farms,” said EFI Executive Director Peter O’Driscoll. “To create a safer, more equitable food system, both small and large farms must be part of the solution, and our partnership with Red Tomato will help farms of various sizes learn from one another.”
The Red Tomato-EFI pilot will look at how EFI certification, so far only adopted by large west coast and international farms, can apply to mid-sized farms in the Northeast. Funded in part by Oxfam America and the United States Department of Agriculture Local Food Promotion Program, the partners will explore costs and potential for collaboration on certification, including on farm training. They will also focus on the ability of Northeast farms to comply with EFI labor standards given the unique make-up of the agricultural workforce in the region, which includes local and seasonal workers along with significant reliance on the H2A worker visa program.
About Red Tomato
For 20 years Red Tomato has been on a mission to change the food system for the better. We work with trusted farmers, distributors and grocers to bring the freshest locally and regionally grown fruits and vegetables to people in the Northeast where they shop and eat every day. When consumers pick Red Tomato, they are choosing the best local produce available – while helping to build a more sustainable food system and a better future. Together we are righteous produce!
For information about Red Tomato, visit http://www.redtomato.org/press-kit/
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.
For more information on EFI visit: http://equitablefood.org
Source: Equitable Food Initiative
