Ethical labor practices supported by third-party certification programs

The Equitable Food Initiative announced the approval of 16 third-party certification programs whose standards align with the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices and therefore qualify growers participating in ECIP to earn a gold star and free access to the LAB platform.

The Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP) launched the LAB (learn, assess and benchmark) online platform in November 2023 to highlight existing strong labor practices and identify opportunities for continuous improvement in other areas.

Through an assessment tool and capacity-building resources, ECIP helps measure and strengthen grower alignment with the principles of the Ethical Charter. Created by an initial investment from the Walmart Foundation and administered by the Equitable Food Initiative, ECIP is overseen by a multi-stakeholder advisory group of retailers, suppliers and industry groups.

The 16 ECIP-recognized certification programs, benchmarked by The Sustainability Consortium, have been evaluated to ensure that compliance with their standards demonstrates alignment with the Ethical Charter. By adhering to the approved certification program standards, growers demonstrate their commitment to field-level social responsibility, a critical step in strengthening labor practices across the industry.

Introduction of the Ethical Charter in 2018 was defined as the beginning of a cross-industry process to ensure that people throughout the supply chain are treated with dignity and respect. 

Growers pay a $200 annual subscription to ECIP LAB, granting them access to a suite of tools and resources designed to promote ethical labor practices and assess their progress. However, growers certified through one of the 16 approved certification programs do not pay any subscription fee for as long as their certification remains valid, thereby incentivizing their participation in ECIP LAB by recognizing the significant investments they have already made in achieving and maintaining credible certifications.

The following 16 certification programs have been benchmarked to align with the Ethical Charter:

• BRCGS Ethical Trade and Responsible Sourcing
• Clearview
• Equitable Food Initiative with the Ethical Charter Addendum
• Fair Food Program
• Fair for Life
• Fair Trade International
• Fair Trade USA
• Florverde Sustainable Flowers
• GLOBALG.A.P: IFA plus GRASP add-on
• Kenya Flower Council – Gold or Silver
• MPS-Socially Qualified 
• Rainforest Alliance
• SA8000 – Social Accountability International
• SIZA – Sustainability Initiative of South Africa
• SMETA – Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit
• Sustainably Grown

For more information about ECIP and ECIP LAB, visit ethicalcharterprogram.org.