ECIP recognizes 34 supplier companies at IFPA show
The Ethical Charter Implementation Program held a pair of events in conjunction with the IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show. Learn more.
The Ethical Charter Implementation Program is a collaboration among retailers, grower-shippers and implementing organizations to recognize and strengthen engagement around labor practices in the fresh produce industry. It is overseen by a multistakeholder industry group to build alignment with the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices and facilitated by Equitable Food Initiative.
In the first event, Walmart suppliers attended an ECIP educational meeting. Laura Himes, vice president of global sourcing for Walmart, moderated a panel discussion with representatives from Five Crowns Marketing, Naturipe Farms and Stemilt Growers, who shared experiences about how they use ECIP to deepen engagement with their growers.
“At Walmart, we believe that strengthening responsible labor practices across the supply chain is essential,” Himes said. “ECIP provides growers and suppliers with the tools and resources they need to assess their management systems, benchmark their progress and drive continuous improvement. We were proud to bring together some of our suppliers to hear how they are using the program and to share how ECIP fits into our ethical sourcing priorities.”
Also during the IFPA Global Show, ECIP and sponsors Windset Farms, GoodFarms and Stemilt Growers hosted the 2026 Leadership Circle Celebration. The event recognized the 34 supplier companies that have earned all five stars in the online ECIP Learn, Assess, Benchmark platform since new engagement criteria were introduced in July.
“Momentum is building around ECIP, and we are encouraged by the engagement and commitment we’re seeing from retailers, suppliers and growers,” said Kenton Harmer, director of market-based impact for Equitable Food Initiative. “With the changes in ECIP LAB this year — Engagement 2.0 and introduction of the Supplier Gold Star — we have raised the bar for what meaningful engagement looks like, and this year’s Leadership Circle demonstrates that suppliers are rising to the occasion. Since the first Leadership Circle was announced in 2024, the number of participating supplier companies has grown steadily, even as qualification thresholds have increased.”
Companies that have earned a spot in the 2026 ECIP Leadership Circle event include:
- AMFRESH North America
- Bay Baby Produce
- Bee Sweet
- Blue River Legacy Farms
- Bobalu Berry Farms
- Bonipak
- Bostock North America
- Bridges Organic Produce
- Del Monte Fresh Produce
- Dole South Africa
- Eagle Eye Produce
- Equifruit
- Favorita USA Corp
- Five Crowns
- Fresh Express
- Fresh Flavor International
- Freshway Produce
- The Fruitist
- Fyffes
- GLC Cerritos
- Gold Cup Fresh
- GoodFarms
- Homegrown Organic Farms
- Kingsburg Orchards
- Mastronardi
- Miami Agro Import
- Misionero
- Naturipe
- Oppy
- Pacific Produce
- Stemilt Growers
- Sunridge Farms
- Superfresh Growers
- Titan Farms
- Westmoreland Sales – Topline Farms
- William H. Kopke Jr. Inc.
- Windset Farms