Why B Corp Coffee Companies Should Be Your Choice
The business landscape is filled with various certifications, such as USDA Certified Organic, Rainforest Alliance certification, and so many others. Have you heard about B Corp certification, what it is and why you need to pay attention to this body as a consumer or even investor? Read on and learn everything you need to know about B Corp coffee companies!
First things first, B Corp refers to benefit corporations, or companies which aspire to deliver benefits to not only their shareholders but also their employees, the community and all stakeholders in their businesses. This certification is open to companies in all industries, not just the coffee sector. Interested companies have to undergo rigorous assessments and sometimes on-spot verification in order to become B Corp certified. Once certified, companies must work harder to improve everything that they do from how they make their products, where they source inputs, how they treat their employees, and so on. Certification is renewed every two years and each subsequent assessment is more demanding than the previous one. Continuous improvement is therefore a must to retain or even improve a company’s score. B Labs are the creators of this business certification.
The great thing about B Corp certification is that companies are held to account to put into practice what others only talk about with regard to governance, sustainability and the environment. Actually, companies are encouraged to modify their policies in order to include governance transparency, sustainability and other B Corp aspirations geared at having a bigger positive impact upon the world in which the company operates. B Corp assessments look at a company holistically rather than at just one aspect (like it is the case with many other certifications), and this holistic approach nurtures greater responsibility and builds stronger companies overall.
For example, a company which gets a low score on waste management will benefit from the experiences and practices of other B Corp firms which scored high on waste management. In the B Corp world, cooperation is the norm and companies learn a lot from others, including those which aren’t in the same industry.
Is it a walk in the park becoming a B Corp coffee company? Far from it! The assessment process can take anywhere from several weeks to months, and the time investment is testament to how committed a firm is to living its sustainability values. The certification fees also vary depending on a company’s annual revenue, with some forking out as much as $50,000 for this badge! Clearly, B Corp certification isn’t for those just interested in rhetoric.
However, the coffee companies which walk this gauntlet to the end reap numerous benefits, such as having a team which is energized and focused on contributing to making the world a better place in tandem with the rate of growth of the company. This positive impact takes several forms, such as paying coffee farmers better rates, reducing the carbon footprint of the company, as well as implementing better HR policies for employees. The next time to you sip on a cup of coffee, be sure it comes with the B Corp stamp of approval!
