This Valentine’s Day we have a challenge for everyone…
B good to yourself!
No, that’s not a typo. The “B” stands for Benefit, as in Certified B Corporations. As a Certified B Corporation, we’re working toward a better future for people and the planet. It’s our greatest badge of honor. We set our own rigorous standards not just for environmental performance, but also social metrics. We give back to the communities where we live and work.
No matter how you participate in Valentine’s Day, we challenge you to do something good for yourself, and in turn, everyone else, by shifting your consumer powers to support those who are working for greater social responsibility.
Here are 5 B Corps in the United States that will help you “B” good to yourself while making the world a better place for all.
Ben & Jerry’s
Over 30 years ago this creative and tasty ice cream maker became “one of the first companies in the world to place a social mission in equal importance to its product and economic missions.” You can see this mission at work through their support of local farmers (the dairy products used to create their various flavors come from hundreds of different farmers) and their dedication to sustainability. It doesn’t stop there.
Ben & Jerry’s genuinely put their money where their mix is. They do this by releasing an annual SEAR report (Social and Environmental Assessment Report). This report is conducted by a third party and provides updates on Ben & Jerry’s priorities to keep consumers informed on the actions and intentions of the company they support.
So this Valentine’s Day, treat yourself to a bowl or two of the good stuff and rest assured that B Corp (and ice cream guru) Ben & Jerry’s is striving not only to provide you with ice cream perfection but also pints filled with social responsibility. What’s not to love about that?
French Broad Chocolates
Asheville, North Carolina’s French Broad Chocolates is proof that chocolate speaks the language of love. This unique and worldly chocolatier was born when owners Dan and Jael Rattigan looked at an abandoned cacao plantation in Costa Rica and saw the potential for something great.
Since their island days, these “self-ordained chocolate missionaries” have been satisfying sugar lovers and thrilling chocophiles stateside with their creative inventory made from organic and local ingredients.
Once you step foot in one of their lounges or boutiques, chances are you will find something to excite your taste buds and romance your sweet tooth. Their wide selection of bonbons and caramels, French Broad Chocolate bars, sinful chocolate cake, liquid truffles and more are all are expertly paired with fine wines and craft beers.
If all of that wasn’t enough, French Broad Chocolates has a “commitment to social and environmental ethics, transparency and accountability” that shows through in their commitment to raising the chocolate bar.
How do they do this? According to the Rattigans, French Broad Chocolate has long been “committed to responsible, sustainable business practices, from direct-sourcing of cacao from farmers in Nicaragua, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala and Costa Rica, to working with producers and farmers in Western North Carolina to source ingredients, to using environmentally friendly packaging materials and composting all food waste, to paying fair wages to its employees.”
If you are drooling but don’t live in Asheville, take comfort in knowing that this bean-based B Corp is happy to ship their creations to you!
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream
What if there was an ice cream that could bring people together, maintain high social standards, strive for exceptional environmental stewardship, and maintain full accountability and transparency along the way? Oh, and what if that ice cream was also seriously tasty? Don’t worry; this isn’t some rom-com wonder that doesn’t exist – it’s Jeni’s!
Since 2013, Jeni’s has been going above and beyond the call of duty with their ice cream and their dedication to social responsibility. They do this all the while staying true to their belief that you can “grow a business as a community of people, with artful attention to detail and the customer experience, and get continuously better at the same time.”
When it comes to their ice cream, the word perfection seems most appropriate. Unlike other ice creams, Jeni’s stays true to simple ingredients that help to keep textures smooth and flavors real. Jeni’s wears their heart on their sleeve so you will never see synthetic flavorings, off-the-shelf mixes, or dyes in their pints. They also take pride in the fact that their labels are free from common stabilizers and emulsifiers.
With Jeni’s you taste what you purchase, from their Darkest Chocolate and fire toasted Salty Caramel to their Churro and their top-selling Brambleberry Crisp.
GIFT IDEA: For serious ice cream lovers, give the gift that keeps on giving with Jeni’s Pint Club.
NuttZo
For anyone who feels like Valentine’s Day is a little nutty, we would like to introduce you to a B Corp named NuttZo that began as many great love stories do – with a food processor, a girl, and a great deal of trial and error.
Danielle Dietz-LiVolsi’s NuttZo story began with her sons and her desire to give them healthy food they would actually eat. This challenge is what fueled experimentation with nuts and seeds that would eventually take her outside the current world of peanut and almond butter. Her drive to spread the love more healthily birthed a tasty seven nut and seed spread that not only packed in more vitamins and minerals but also would eventually evolve into one of the most “innovative brands in the natural food movement.”
NuttZo’s commitment to children didn’t stop there. Though nuts and seeds make up NuttZo’s well-loved products, they aren’t the beating heart of the organization – that belongs to Project Left Behind.
As the primary financial support of this non-profit, focused on orphaned and neglected children around the world, NuttZo helps to keep 100% of donations mission-focused, supports small children’s homes that are vetted and personally visited, schedules trips to provide greater awareness, understands orphanage needs and goals, and offers unique choices and support opportunities for donors.
If you haven’t tried these different spreads, snack bars, or nut packs we encourage you to help them spread the love by finding a supplier near you.
Rescue Chocolate
This Valentine’s Day, think about doing something tasty for yourself and beneficial for adoptable animals.
First, let’s talk about animals. What started with a thumbnail sighting of a beautiful brown-eyed pitbull named Mocha on Petfinder.com, quickly became a national-reaching chocolate support system for thousands of animal friends. This B Corp sets the bar insanely high by donating 100% of their net profits to animal rescue organizations nationwide.
Now let’s talk about this chocolate! Rescue Chocolate is 100% vegan, a product of fair trade, organic, and handcrafted with top quality ingredients and no artificial preservatives in the Belgian tradition. Now, Rescue Chocolate is working with a French pastry chef, Jean Francois Bonnet of the Tumbador Chocolate Factory to create exceptional chocolate flavors that pair perfectly with wonderful causes.
Editor’s Note “References made to businesses/companies in this post are not meant to convey affiliation or endorsement by Rubicon of those companies in any way.”
Read more about what it means to Rubicon to be a Certified B Corp here!
