THE SAFE CODE OF CONDUCT

En Español

As key players in the food supply chain, we take an interest in the conditions in which we grow and harvest our products. We constructively engage with our customers, employees, and other stakeholders as we strive for continuous improvement. We understand that our reputations, and those of our customers, depend upon the quality of the products that we provide, and that this quality includes not merely the freshness, taste, cost, and timeliness to market of our products, but also that our labor force is afforded all of the rights entitled them. Consequently, we are committed to the development of tools that will enable us to satisfy our own expectations, those of our customers and, in turn, those of their customers and stakeholders.

What follows is a statement of principles that set forth, at a general level, the principles by which we commit to grow and harvest agricultural products. These principles define benchmarks against which we can be measured with respect to a variety of criteria of interest and importance to all stakeholders.

PRINCIPLES

I. General Employment Practices:

Each participating grower commits to comply with all applicable laws and regulations governing employment in the jurisdictions in which they operate. Employees will be treated fairly and have a workplace free of intimidation, violence, and harassment. Each participating grower is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all relevant nondiscrimination laws and regulations. Participating growers are committed to respectful and open communications with their employees. Each participating grower agrees that when it's necessary to do so, it will only obtain workers from or through a third party that adopts and adheres to these same employment practices and standards.

II. Employment Standards:

• Forced Labor: Participating growers will not use forced labor. Forced labor includes prison labor, indentured labor, or any other activity in which the worker's freedom is improperly or unlawfully restricted.
  
• Child Labor: Participating growers will not use child labor, as defined by the laws and regulations regarding agriculture activities of the jurisdiction in which the work is being performed.
  
• Discrimination: Each participating grower commits to base all employment decisions exclusively upon a person's ability to perform the specific job, and will not base employment decisions upon other factors such as race, gender, marital status, religion, age, disability, nationality, or ethnicity. "Employment decisions" include hiring, salary, benefits, promotion and advancement, discipline, and termination.
  
• Wages and Benefits: Each participating grower commits to pay no less than the established lawful wages. Workers will receive all benefits required by the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction in which the work is being performed.
  
• Employment Records: Each participating grower commits to keep and maintain all payroll records in a complete and accurate manner as required by law. Each participating grower also agrees to provide clear and understandable wage statements to each employee at the time of payment, which shall be no less than semi-monthly. These statements include the basis upon which wages have been paid; if piece rates were used, the number of units produced; hours worked; any lawful deductions from wages; and all other information required by law.
  
• Healthy and Safe Work Environment: Participating growers will provide a safe and healthy working environment for their employees. Workers will be trained to ensure safe procedures and proper use of pesticides in the work environment, in accordance with the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which the work is performed.
  
• Housing: Participating growers who provide housing will ensure that it meets all the applicable laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it is located. No employee will be required to live in grower provided housing as a condition of employment.
  

III. Implementation:

Participating growers commit to develop implementation, training, third-party monitoring, and corrective action programs to ensure the principles set forth in this code of conduct become part of our daily work environment.