Relationships
Shared as part of the Agricultural Justice Project's AJP Toolkit at agriculturaljusticeproject.org/toolkit. Free to use, share, and adapt as long as you give credit to the original authors. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Original authors of resources shared here retain all original rights to their work.
Respect, Behavior, & Expectations
Workplaces, like every community, function best when their members relate to each other in healthy, respectful ways. Community agreements are a tool for setting both boundaries and aspirations for behavior and ways of relating.
Against Harassment
Setting policies against harassment and intimidation, including adopting a specific policy against sexual harassment, as required by law.
Negotiation & Freedom of Association
AJP standards require that employers negotiate with employees, and buyers negotiate with sellers, in good faith. Employers must also respect employees’ freedom of association, the right to join together with others for mutual benefit.
Feedback & Evaluations
AJP requires regular performance reviews for employees, at least once a year. Guidance and resources for providing helpful feedback and two-way evaluations.
Conflict Resolution
AJP standards require that every farm have a conflict resolution process that includes a clear way for employees to present grievances without fear of retaliation. We include examples and resources here.
Grievances
When disputes arise between an employee and an owner or other figure of authority, power disparities may make it hard to follow an internal conflict resolution process. AJP provides an additional venue for hearing grievances for businesses that are Food Justice Certified.
Discipline & Termination
AJP standards require a business to have a written, multi-stage disciplinary process.
AJP Funds Sharing Policy
This policy was initiated from an idea farmer Jennifer Taylor (of Lola’s Organic Farm) brought to AJP in 2023. Leah Cohen worked out the details of implementation in collaboration with Jennifer. It was piloted from 2023 through AJP’s sunsetting in 2026, sharing over $17k in benefits divided among 19 beneficiaries.
Policy #
AJP will pay a designated share of our funding directly to frontline community members who are subjected to race-based systemic injustice and whose stories help AJP obtain grants and donations.
...Negotiating for Mutual Benefit
Synopsis of the popular book Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, by Fisher and Ury, which offers helpful tips for trying to negotiate agreements that offer benefits to each party. Includes notes about the book’s shortcomings.
Negotiating A Union Contract
Jim Cochran describes his experience negotiating a union contract with his workers at Swanton Berry Farm.