At CleanGreens we don’t like to be put in boxes, as a growing company in a very large industry we see no boundaries to our development.
However... there are a few boxes that we do want to tick as we grow since they are the fundamentals on which we are building. One of them is the B Lab certification as it gives companies a proper frame to grow sustainably and responsibly.
Believe it or not, these are genuine red roots from Swiss chards grown with our system.
The answer that changed our minds
The world we live in today, as we see it, is on a direct path to ending its natural resources.
There is no planet B and we know it, but what are we doing to reverse all the damage done?
We asked ourselves that question, and put ourselves into action and achieve the standards to be B Corp certified.
"B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. In order to achieve certification, a company must:
Demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing our risk review. Multinational corporations must also meet baseline requirement standards.
Make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and achieve benefit corporation status if available in their jurisdiction.
Exhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Lab’s website. "
We worked hard to achieve the necessary score and demonstrate commitment to this challenge, and we succeeded : we were recognized as Best for the World® in the Environment category for the second year in a row !
Why do we care?
Well... to begin with... this planet is our home. Last year, July 28th was ‘Earth Overshoot Day’. That day marks the date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth regenerates during the entire year. In order to push that date backwards we need to reinvent how to serve more people with less resources.
With the adoption of agriculture, the first cities were created, aristocracy was born, the division of powers, property, population growth... In short, the pillars of the world we live in were born. Horticulture has gone crazy but... little by little this practice that made us evolve as human beings began to cause new problems:
The amount of water wasted in food production. Food contaminated by pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. The carbon footprint emission from food transportation. Climate changes that damage entire crops. Droughts. etc.
We created a mobile aeroponics system for farming that allows a large amount of crops, which saves 96% more than traditional agriculture and 60% more than hydroponics.
We are continuously iterating to keep making our system efficient, profitable and reliable to operate, to make consumers feel the incredible crunchiness of a product grown with its roots in the air, and so that our children don't grow up with unnatural additives in their vegetables.
How did we achieve this?
There are many tips or secrets we can give you to achieve the B certification, but here are the ones we consider most important:
- Work ahead of time: nothing can go right if you wait last minute to send what is required. This certification is not a race, you don't have to come first. You just have to get it right. Complete all answers responsibly and conscientiously.
- Be honest and don't put "pretty" data: Always work with real numbers, with proven facts, with things you are sure of. Your reputation is at stake, it is always better to play fair.
- Trust the process: It may seem like a bit of a complicated process, but if you take it one step at a time, it is very well thought so that you go all the way and get to the end.
- Don't be afraid to ask: Behind every company there are human beings. If you have any doubts, be sure to read the FAQs first, but remember that behind it there is a team ready to help you. You can also count on us or another company that has the certification to give you advice!
- Don't despair: This certification has very demanding requirements, it is a reality. Do not get discouraged or go into crisis if you do not achieve it this year, you will have time for your revenge and this process can only have good results, since your company will have noticeable changes.
-Last but not least: Be proud to advertise it everywhere! All companies need to know that B-Company certification exists. It can inspire other companies, and we will live in a more environmentally friendly world.
What about you? Did the B Corp Label, or any other, become a criterion for you to select your suppliers and partners?
We hope you consider it for the future and are available to talk to you about it for its benefits. Stay tuned for more and remember:
