SPONSORS
The Fair Food Sponsor Program was created for independent retailers and co-ops looking for a tangible way to support the human rights of farmworkers, and to put company values into practice as they help to build a more ethical food system.
Fair Food Program Sponsors support the Program at a scale that makes sense for their smaller operations, and commit to educating and engaging their customers and members about Fair Food.
FEATURED SPONSORS
Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-Op
First co-op in Maryland to join!
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Maryland
Three Rivers Market
The first co-op in Tennessee to join the Program
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TN
Park Slope Food Coop
NYC institution inaugurates the Fair Food Sponsor Program
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New York
Each Peach Market
The first independent retailer to join the Program
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D.C.
WHY JOIN THE FAIR FOOD SPONSOR PROGRAM?
The Fair Food Program traditionally leverages the industry power of corporate buyers, so until now smaller food retailers did not have a concrete way to support the Program. We know that many of our strongest supporters are also members of their local co-ops or regulars at their local independent, ethically-minded grocers. The FFP Sponsor Program creates a new entry point for smaller retailers who aspire to support ethical practices, to meet the expectations of a committed shopper base, and to help build a more just food system.
RESOURCES
Download Sponsor Program Factsheets
Learn more about the Program, or use this information to start a conversation with your favorite retailer about becoming an FFP sponsor!
The Fair Food Sponsor Program
About the Fair Food Program
Ethical production and sourcing are among our core values, and our membership has voted overwhelmingly to support the FFP – a first in the nation for a local retailer. The Fair Food Program embodies those values, ensuring that the food we buy each day to feed our families is harvested with dignity and respect for the women and men laboring in the fields.
— PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP
“A key part of our mission is to prioritize social responsibility in the products we stock. Becoming a Sponsor of the Fair Food Program is an opportunity to put that mission into practice by supporting farmworker rights in a unique, tangible way. We’re thrilled to be able to offer our members yet another way to live their values.”
— TAKOMA PARK SILVER SPRING COOP
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FAIR FOOD SPONSOR PROGRAM
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be a “Fair Food Sponsor?”
We created the Fair Food Sponsor Program after many years of conversation with smaller-scale buyers of produce. They were seeking a meaningful way of contributing to the Fair Food movement, but didn’t fit the Fair Food model’s focus on large-scale national chains and those corporations’ ability to leverage their purchasing power to drive change in their suppliers’ labor practices. We started to imagine a role they could play that would allow them to support the Fair Food Program in a way that makes sense for their scale. We hope to create a community of Fair Food Sponsors with other cooperatives, small grocery stores, restaurants, chefs, and other institutions.
What are the requirements for Fair Food Sponsors?
Fair Food Sponsors are partnering with the Fair Food Program to assist in extending FFP’s unprecedented human rights protections to millions more farmworkers across the U.S.
Sponsors commit to:
- Making recurring annual support payments to the Fair Food Program, scaled to the size of the business. The Sponsor payments are divided between a direct economic benefit to workers as a bonus on their paychecks, and support for the independent monitoring work required to uphold the protections of the program.
- Educating/engaging their customers, members, patrons, about the Fair Food Program through signage or other creative engagement that makes sense for the setting.
- Making an effort to buy Fair Food Program produce when possible.
What are the benefits of the Sponsor Program? Why join?
The Fair Food Sponsor Program allows ethically-minded co-ops, independent grocers, and small restaurants to demonstrate and uphold their values in a measurable and effective way. The award-winning Fair Food Program is the only one of its kind that is truly worker-driven, transparent, and accountable to workers themselves. The independent, dedicated monitoring of the Fair Food Standards Council, which Sponsors support, ensures that workers have access to complaint resolution 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in their language.
Fair Food Sponsors can proudly showcase their affiliation to the Fair Food Program, and their guests and customers will know that as patrons, they, too, are standing up for the human rights of farmworkers.
We know that small businesses trying to do the “right thing” face challenges, from lack of time to research supplier options, to lack of information about what certification labels actually mean. The Fair Food Program supports Sponsors with information, stories, and insights that empower our partners and their customers to feel educated and confident about transforming farmworker human rights.
I would love to sell Fair Food Produce in my store. How do I do that?
You can see if you already sell Fair Food produce by checking the Fair Food Program website for Participating Growers, or asking your wholesale supplier to check: https://www.fairfoodprogram.org/partners/
What if I can’t source Fair Food Produce?
No problem! The Fair Food Sponsor Program offers an opportunity for any businesses that are not traditional buyers in the Fair Food Program to support the program’s expansion. Small food retailers who don’t or can’t buy Fair Food produce are still welcomed and encouraged to become Sponsors, because this helps us build momentum, awareness, and demand.
I do have Fair Food produce in my store, how can I promote it?
In addition to the support payment and educational component, there is a Fair Food Program label, which can be affixed to produce or displayed on signage.
How would the Fair Food Program support us in marketing and outreach?
We collaborate with Sponsors on a press release and media outreach, including through our social media channels and website. We can also provide you with custom digital files for posters, flyers, brochures, and anything else you think might work best for your business. If you are selling Fair Food Program produce, we can also provide digital design files of our label and/or create a bin sign for you. In short, outreach and marketing is a collaborative, customized process meant to make sure you have what you need!
What are the steps to join the Sponsor Program?
It’s easy to start the conversation! Reach out to us about your interest and we will set up an initial phone call to get to know each other! Here are some of the things we’ll probably talk about:
- How the worker-driven Fair Food Program fits into your ethics and mission
- Whether you sell FFP produce (it’s not required)
- The size of your coop/business (to help determine the sliding scale support contribution)
- How you typically engage/communicate with your customers/members/guests (to help brainstorm ways we can educate and excite the people you serve)
- What opportunities exist to promote and celebrate your partnership to the press and broader public
- Questions you have about how the core Fair Food Program works, or how the Sponsor Program works
READY TO LEARN MORE?
Reach out to us to set up a conversation about joining the Fair Food Sponsor Program!