A Healthy Food System Starts with Healthy Farmworkers; Once Upon a Farm Launches First-Of-Its-Kind Partnership with Equitable Food Initiative

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Oct 08, 2024, 12:17 ET

The leading childhood nutrition brand is the first CPG company to source and pay premiums on EFI-certified produce as part of its effort to drive systemic improvements to the food system

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BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Once Upon a Farm, the leading childhood nutrition brand, is pleased to announce a trailblazing partnership with Equitable Food Initiative (EFI). Through this first-of-its-kind partnership, Once Upon a Farm is committing to source and pay premiums on produce from EFI-certified suppliers. 'Health' starts with nutrition, but it also encompasses physical and psychological well-being. EFI trains and engages farmworkers to create safer, fairer food production and ensure workers have a voice in improving their working conditions.

Once Upon a Farm set a goal to source 7,000,000 pounds of organic produce from EFI-certified suppliers, covering an estimated 30% of ingredients purchased for their core portfolio in 2024. Premiums are directed to non-salaried farm employees as a bonus in recognition of their essential role and to reward workers for the extra training and diligence they bring to the fields through the EFI Program.

"At Once Upon a Farm, we believe that to drive the systemic improvements in childhood nutrition we are committed to, we must also drive systemic improvements to how our food is grown, picked, and produced," says John Foraker, Co-Founder and CEO of Once Upon a Farm. "A healthy food system begins with healthy farmworkers."

Equitable Food Initiative partners with stakeholders across the food system to transform agriculture and the lives of farmworkers via training and premiums backed by audited third-party certification. EFI brings many stakeholders in the supply chain together to integrate worker voices in addressing the industry's most pressing issues, including labor, sustainability, and food safety. While the core of EFI is about a culture of continuous improvement, the certification provides third-party assurance that workers are treated and paid fairly and engaged to produce the safest, highest quality food possible.

"Multi-ingredient consumer goods often have opaque supply chains, not by choice, but rather as a by-product of their complexity. We use over 110 different ingredients in our products, from suppliers big and small," says John Foraker. "Given the diversity in our supply chain, there is not a one-size-fits-all model for responsible sourcing but Once Upon a Farm believes complexity should not equal complacency. We have an opportunity to see farmworkers as true partners in our mission to create safe, healthy products that parents trust. We also have an opportunity to be honest about the challenges and imperfections, so that we can work collectively with others in the industry on how to improve."

Partnering with EFI is where the company can have the largest, most immediate impact within its supply chain. The company is committed to expanding the prevalence of EFI practices within its supply chain over time. It is the first, material step within a larger initiative to advance equitable sourcing.

"Everyone deserves safe, healthy, and respectful working conditions – farm workers included," says Jane Kuhn, Director of Sustainability at Once Upon a Farm. "This isn't just an ethical imperative, it's a business imperative. Farmworker well-being translates into better product quality and food safety. It's also part of our commitment to foster a better world for parents and children. More than 50% of farmworkers are parents themselves. Prioritizing farmworker wellbeing through fair wages and adequate resources can have positive ripple effects on their households, fostering a healthier and more supportive environment for their children."

"As the first CPG company to make this type of commitment, Once Upon a Farm is exhibiting its visionary leadership and putting its values into action," said LeAnne Ruzzamenti, Director of Marketing and Communications for EFI. "In both supporting the companies who have made commitments to their workers and paying the premium to fund the worker bonus, Once Upon a Farm is carving a new path for the food system and directly benefiting the workers at the heart of our industry."

A defining trait of EFI farms is the worker-manager collaborative teams through which farmworkers and managers continually collaborate to identify and address food safety and social accountability issues. This approach seeks to break down hierarchical silos and give workers a voice in farming operations. By training and equipping farmworkers and growers to reduce food safety risks and health hazards in the fields, EFI creates higher levels of assurance that add value throughout the fresh produce system.

Stemilt Growers, a Washington grower, packer, and shipper of apples, pears, cherries, and stone fruit, has certified all of its owned operations with EFI. Yadira Vargas, a worker in Stemilt's Quincy orchard, shared, "EFI is about providing a safe environment for farmworkers, and allowing consumers to have transparency about what they're eating." Vargas said that serving on the worker-manager collaboration team has "been a good opportunity to work with my coworkers and listen to the ideas they have. It's rewarding to then go back to the team and work on a solution."

For more information on Once Upon a Farm and to learn about how the company is making an impact, please visit onceuponafarmorganics.com/pages/sustainability.

About Once Upon a Farm
At Once Upon a Farm, Farm-Fresh Tastes Grow Here™. We're on a greater mission in providing organic, crave-worthy, snacks and meals for children of all ages. Our delicious and thoughtful recipes are crafted with only the best organic ingredients – whole fruits and veggies picked, then cold-pressed (our pouches), freshly frozen (our meals) to perfection, refrigerated oat bars, and our new line of farm fresh tasting pantry snacks – to support growing kids at every stage and milestone. All of our products are organic, non-GMO project verified, contain no added sugar, and are free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives – just simple, real, nutritious food your entire family will love.

About Equitable Food Initiative (EFI)
Equitable Food Initiative is a capacity-building and certification nonprofit that works to improve the lives of farmworkers and drive business performance by integrating worker voice and engagement throughout the supply chain. As a multi stakeholder organization, EFI brings together growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumers to create assessment, training and organizational development programs that support continuous improvement and address the industry's most pressing problems. For more information about Equitable Food Initiative, visit equitablefood.org.

Media Contacts
Kayla Rodriguez, Once Upon a Farm
[email protected]

LeAnne Ruzzamenti, Equitable Food Initiative
[email protected]

SOURCE Once Upon a Farm, PBC