Sprouts Farmers Market is committed to conducting business with integrity, transparency and high ethical standards that respect human rights, our communities, and the environment, while honoring the laws and regulations where we operate. We select reputable suppliers and business partners that share this commitment and detail our expectations regarding workplace standards and supplier best practices in this Supplier Code of Conduct (“Code”) and within our Commitment to Human Rights.
Suppliers include product and service suppliers in our supply chain, along with their parent entities, subsidiaries, affiliates, subcontractors and others who are within their supply chain (collectively, “Supplier”). The expectations detailed in this Code factor critically in our decision whether to enter into or extend existing business relationships. Each Supplier is responsible for ensuring its employees, representatives and subcontractors understand and comply with this Code.
Suppliers include product and service suppliers in our supply chain, along with their parent entities, subsidiaries, affiliates, subcontractors and others who are within their supply chain (collectively, “Supplier”). The expectations detailed in this Code factor critically in our decision whether to enter into or extend existing business relationships. Each Supplier is responsible for ensuring its employees, representatives and subcontractors understand and comply with this Code.
Supplier will comply with the following:
Ethical Workforce Policies and Labor Conditions
- All labor must be voluntary. Suppliers must not engage or support slavery, child labor, or human trafficking. Supplier must not engage or support any form of involuntary labor, including, without limitation: compelled, forced, bonded, or indentured labor, or forced prison labor.
- All wages, hours, and work environments of workers, engaged by Supplier, must comply with all applicable laws, and meet or exceed industry standards.
- All facilities used by Supplier must comply with all applicable laws, rules, codes, and regulations.
- All workforces must be free of all abuse, harassment, and unlawful discrimination, without regard to any basis prohibited by applicable law.
- All workers engaged by Supplier, working in the United States (U.S.), must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. under all applicable laws, and must provide all required documentation to demonstrate such work authorization.
- Supplier must fully comply with all federal, state, and local laws, including but not limited to the National Labor Relations Act. All workers must be treated with dignity and respect. Supplier will not prevent workers from choosing whether to associate with any group or bargaining collectively, in accordance with applicable laws.
- Supplier must acknowledge Sprouts’ expectations for human rights set forth in our Commitment to Human Rights and comply with any subsequent mandates resulting therefrom.
Animal Welfare
- Suppliers must meet or exceed industry best-practices for animal welfare and are encouraged to adopt ethical and responsible practices that promote the wellbeing of animals and in accordance with our Animal Welfare commitments.
Federal Safety and Quality Standards
- Supplier must ensure that the goods that it manufactures (including the ingredients and/or components that it incorporates into its goods) meet or exceed all legal, food safety, and industry standards. Supplier must ensure that it will only use packaging materials that meet or exceed legal and industry standards.
Environmental Impact
- Supplier shall operate its facilities in compliance with all environmental laws, including, without limitation, laws relating to waste disposal, emissions, discharges, and hazardous and toxic material handling.
Ethical Supply Chain Business and Trade Practices
- Supplier must not offer gifts or entertainment to any Sprouts’ employees, subject to the limited permitted exceptions set forth in our Code of Conduct and Ethics. Supplier shall also comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
- Supplier will allow Sprouts, in its discretion, to conduct inspections of Supplier’s facilities to confirm Supplier’s compliance with this Code of Conduct. Sprouts has no obligation to conduct inspections.
- Supplier will use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that all third parties within its supply chain comply with this Code.
- Supplier may have access to material, non-public information about Sprouts or a third-party business partner which, if disclosed, could impact the value of publicly traded securities. If so, Supplier is subject to U.S. federal securities laws and Sprouts’ Insider Trading Policy, which specifies, among other things, that you are prohibited by law from disclosing or trading our stock based on such “inside information.” Supplier cannot share this inside information with the media, financial analysts, competitors or other third parties, including friends and family. Disclosure of such inside information may result in individual criminal and civil liability and disciplinary action by Sprouts.
Reporting Violations
- Supplier can/shall confidentially self-report any violations of this Code of Conduct through the Sprouts Ethics Helpline, which is managed by a third-party and is available 24/7 in different languages, and is available via the number (+1) 855-748-5773. Supplier shall not retaliate or take disciplinary action against any worker who has, in good faith, reported violations or questionable behavior, or who has sought advice regarding this Code of Conduct.