EFI marks Hispanic Heritage Month with cookbook and worker stories

Equitable Food Initiative is using Hispanic Heritage Month to spotlight Hispanic and Latino agricultural workers with a free digital cookbook and related resources. The campaign aims to recognize the people and traditions that power the U.S. fresh produce supply chain from field to retail.

Why it matters: - Hispanic and Latino workers play a central role across U.S. agriculture, from crop production to management, logistics and retail. - EFI’s campaign turns that workforce contribution into a public-facing recognition effort tied to food, culture and workplace engagement. - The initiative gives fresh produce companies a ready-made way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and connect recognition to everyday operations.

What happened: - Equitable Food Initiative released a free digital Hispanic Heritage Month cookbook featuring recipes, photos and cultural context from agricultural professionals. - EFI also highlighted a broader set of Hispanic Heritage Month resources for growers, retailers and other fresh produce companies. - The campaign was announced in Washington, D.C., ahead of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

The details: - The U.S. Department of Agriculture data cited in the announcement shows Hispanic professionals make up 78% of U.S. crop farmworkers. - Hispanic professionals account for nearly 30% of agricultural managers and supervisors and 27% of all other agricultural occupations. - More than 83,000 Hispanic farm producers manage over 36 million acres of U.S. farmland. - EFI said Hispanic and Latino American agricultural professionals also serve as executives, logistics directors and retailers across the global food sector. - The cookbook is available for free at the recipe collection. - Additional Hispanic Heritage Month resources are available at EFI’s Hispanic Heritage Month page. - EFI’s resource package includes first-person video stories, worker profiles, ready-to-share graphics, communications materials and workplace engagement ideas.

Between the lines: - The cookbook is both a cultural celebration and an internal engagement tool for companies that want to make recognition more personal. - By pairing recipes with worker stories, EFI is linking food traditions to labor, leadership and identity across the supply chain. - The effort also reflects a broader push in agriculture to highlight workers beyond their production roles and recognize their influence on business performance and culture.

What’s next: - EFI is encouraging growers, retailers and other fresh produce companies to use Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize employees, share stories and create cultural learning opportunities. - Companies can use the free materials throughout the Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 observance period. - EFI will continue directing readers to the cookbook and its Hispanic Heritage Month resource hub as the season unfolds.

The bottom line: - EFI is using food and storytelling to make Hispanic Heritage Month more tangible for the produce industry while elevating the workforce that keeps it moving.