Valrhona chocolate business gains B Corp sustainability status
French-based chocolate business Valrhona has gained coveted B Corp status, recognising its efforts towards delivering sustainability initiatives designed to improve its environmental and overall business performance.
Following the audit, the company obtained a B Impact score of 88,3 points out of a possible 200 (with 80 being the minimum standard), which resulted in changing its statutes to legally state that the business takes into account all stakeholders, as well as the planet in all its decisions.
The business has a strong heritage in the fine chocolate field, having first started in the small village of Tain L’Hermitage, France since 1922. As the company explained of its history, company founder and Pastry Chef Albéric Guironnet was dedicated to the creation of unique, artisan quality chocolate with complex, balanced and consistent flavours, with its ranges continuing to expand.
As the business added, the B Corp certification distinguishes companies that are certified to meet rigorous standards of performance, accountability, and transparency in both social and environmental concerns.
Specifically, it is the certification recognising companies that are striving for excellence in industry as well as for the planet – with the B of B Corp standing for “Benefit”. To gain this status, firms are assessed in five areas: governance, employees, customers, community, and environment. As Valrhona noted, its ongoing sustainability initiatives have included a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2020. The company also supports the Food Recovery Network fighting against food waste in the US.
A spokesperson for the company said: “The last few months have taught us a lot and, above all, have shown us that in the face of challenges, we can transform ourselves quickly. But once the current situation has ended, let us not forget that our greatest transformation as a company is still to come. Let’s not wait for the climate crisis and the sharp rise in inequalities to push us, as a matter of urgency, to rethink our economic models, our operations and our ways of working together.
“We are aware that companies have a crucial role to play in our evolving world. Let’s take advantage of the upcoming recovery to accelerate our transformation, rethink our business model and reinvent the way we work. To be stronger tomorrow, our organisations will no longer have to strive to be only the best in the world, but also the best for the world.
“This accolade is certainly a recognition of our sustainable approach, but being a B Corp has never been our end goal. For us, becoming a B Corp means joining a growing community of firms committed to exchanging ideas and challenging each other to take action a better world. It serves as a guide to help us continue to challenge the status quo and have a positive impact.”
