WASHINGTON, DC - 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."
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.
Companies that have already earned a spot in the 2027 Leadership Circle include:
- AMFRESH North America
- Bay Baby Produce
- Bee Sweet Citrus
- Blue River Legacy Farms
- Bobalu Berry Farms
- Bonipak
- Bridges Organic Produce
- Cal Fresco
- California Giant Berry Farms
- Dibanisa Fruit
- Divine Flavor
- Dole South Africa
- Equifruit
- FirstFruits Farms
- Four Star Fruit
- Fowler Packing Company
- Fresh Express
- Fresh Flavor International
- Freshway Produce
- Frieda's
- GLC Cerritos
- Gold Cup Fresh
- GoodFarms
- Kingsburg Orchards
- Mastronardi Produce
- Meena Farms Marketing
- Misionero
- Mucci Farms
- New York Apple Sales
- Oppy
- Pacific Produce
- Pacific Trellis Fruit
- Pandol
- Pure Hothouse Foods
- Rainier Fruit Company
- Regatta Tropicals
- State Garden
- Stemilt Growers
- Subsole
- Sundale Sales
- Sunridge Farms
- Superfresh Growers
- Tanimura & Antle
- The Giumarra Companies
- Titan Farms
- Townsend Farms
- Trinity Fruit
- UP Vertical Farms
- Veg-Fresh Farms
- Westmoreland Sales - Topline Farms
- William H. Kopke Jr.
"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.
