A Benefit Corporation, or B Corp, is a for-profit business with a list of priorities that reads quite differently from the traditional business models of old. The almighty profit is no longer the center of the universe. B Corp brands make a concerted effort to focus on doing good for the world by not only embracing best practices for environmental sustainability and social change, but also by agreeing to become legally accountable to do so.

About B Corporations

“B Corp” isn't simply a marketing moniker brands can slap onto their product labels. To become a B Corp, the business must qualify for certification. This involves a rigorous B Impact Assessment completed by the nonprofit organization B Lab. The business must meet measurable benchmarks that prove, on paper, how the business is making positive environmental and social impacts around the world and in their local communities.

“Certified B Corporations meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability while balancing profit and purpose,” says Sam Dennigan, founder and CEO of Strong Roots, a plant-based frozen food company. “Becoming a B Corp has been a long-time goal for us, because it’s on us, as a food company, to lead the change we want to see in the food industry,” he explains.

"We take action on societal and environmental issues not because we should, but because we must, for a better world"

- Sam Dennigan, found and CEO of Strong Roots

B Corporations and Sustainability

In a world where large, shareholder-centric corporations have started rebranding themselves as eco-conscious and people-focused, B Corps choose to walk the walk, rather than talk the talk. “We take action on societal and environmental issues not because we should, but because we must, for a better world,” Dennigan says. “We are proud to be building a more inclusive and sustainable economy.”

As an example of Strong Roots’ commitment on the environmental front, Dennigan highlights what his company is doing to achieve the right balance between making a profit and respecting the planet:

“Our biggest suppliers are at the cutting edge of agricultural technology through MIMOSA (Minimum Impact & Maximum Output Sustainable Agriculture), they employ agronomists to investigate new developments to maximize growing efficiency and minimize waste, they focus on the use and reuse of water, and they convert vegetable waste into bio-gas, cutting not just waste but energy use,” says Dennigan.

Why Become a B Corp?

Dennigan sums it up perfectly: “Strong Roots set out to fix the freezer aisle, by creating a range of delicious plant-based options, that were sustainably farmed, shipped and sold. The belief that ‘food can be better’ guides us. For us, B Corp certification represents an official seal of approval of an ethical approach to the environment, governance, customers, our people and the local community.”

Try: Strong Roots Cauliflower Hash Browns

Quick and Easy Plant-Based Recipes

Tomato Soup with Cauliflower Hash Browns

Cauliflower Hash Brown Benedict

Mixed Root Vegetable Fry ‘Poutine’

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