Canadian greenhouse produce grower Windset Farms has passed the grade set by the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI), with its fresh fruits and vegetables marked 'Responsibly Grown. Farmworker Assured' now available at select Costco locations in the northwest United States.

The initiative has been described as a "one-stop shop" for certifications in food safety, pesticide management and social compliance, with retail members including Costco and Whole Foods. 

Windset's facility in Delta, British Columbia is EFI's first certified farm in Canada, while the initiative is working with the organization to certify other farms in the United States.

The Delta facility produces peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes, and Windset also grows lettuce, strawberries, eggplant and endive.

"At Windset Farms, we’re committed to providing consumers with the highest quality produce possible,” said Windset Farms director of sales Jeff Madu.

"This includes the value and quality throughout the entire food system made up of workers, growers, retailers and consumers alike. Our certification with EFI makes sure that our workers are receiving fair wages, benefits and safe working conditions."

For EFI, the Canadian facility posed a unique challenge, with English-, Punjabi- and Spanish-speaking workers.

"EFI’s workforce development team is committed to providing tailored solutions for any operation," said EFI executive director Peter O’Driscoll.

"Our trainers collaborated with Windset to provide simultaneous tri-lingual interpretation, helping to bridge the gaps among different groups of workers. They now approach problem-solving activities together to keep the farm in compliance with EFI Standards.

"This type of workforce development represents a big win for both Windset and EFI and shows that EFI is not just another certification."

EFI’s multi-stakeholder approach to workforce development, certification and verification welcomes participation from across the produce industry.

This includes retailers, growers, farmworker organizations and consumer advocacy groups. EFI Standards include compliance indicators for labor conditions, food safety and environmental stewardship.

EFI has so far certified four produce facilities in the United States, four in Mexico and one in Canada, and it is working with other produce suppliers to achieve certification later this year.

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