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VALRHONA IS B CORPORATION® CERTIFIED

 


We are proud to announce that as of January 2020, we are officially B CORP certified company. This prestigious certification identifies companies that are dedicated to better the world both socially and environmentally. As a B Corp, we are committed to systematically making progress. 

B CORP SCORE VALRHONA

 

What is B Corp Certification?

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 recognizing companies which not only seek to be the best in the world but seek to be the best for the world.
The common goal of B CORP is to help be of benefit for the world and those in it, so it is not surprising that the “B” stands for “Benefit”. To obtain this certification, companies are assessed in 5 areas: governance, employees, customers, community, and environment.

  • Governance: Combat corruption and provide transparent financial information.
    We are committed to upholding ethical and transparent business practices with countless independent certifications showcasing these commitments along with requirements for our employees and suppliers to sign agreements for ethical guidelines.
  • Employees: Offer appropriate pay, employee benefits, and career development.
    We are consistently ranked as a “Great Place To Work”, and we are proud to have gender diversity in both our workforce and management.
  • Customers: Supply quality products & services and market them responsibly.
    We are proud to say that 96% of our customers said they are happy with Valrhona (2017 survey).
  • Community: Have a diverse community, make ethical commitments, and have good relationships with suppliers.
    Our community is incredibly important to us, and that is visible through our long term partnerships with our planter partners along with our projects to improve producer community living and working conditions.
  • Environment: Pay attention to greenhouse gas emissions and the waste generated.
    In 2018, Valrhona made several ambitious, but attainable goals to reduce our environmental impact. This included a goal to be carbon neutral across our business chain by 2025, a commitment to redesigning our products and packaging to be more eco-friendly, and goals around renewable energy. By the end of 2020, our factory will be carbon neutral, and we are on track to meet our other goals.

 

Our Commitment

This certification embodies our many commitments which have driven our company and been an integral part of our DNA for decades. We’re proud to attain this certification to showcase better these ethical commitments and bring to light some of the great work our team has been doing throughout all aspects of our business for years.

  • In 1986: We began our ongoing partnership with the Millot Cocoa Plantation in Madagascar.
  • In 1997: We created our first long-term partnership agreements with cocoa producers.
  • In 2006: We created the Valrhona Foundation formalizing our commitments to our communities.
  • In 2015: We launched our Live Long sustainable development program.
  • In 2016: Valrhona became a shareholder in the Millot Plantation in Madagascar.
  • In 2017: We took action to compensate producers in Ivory Coast to make up for the low market price and guarantee living wages.
  • In 2018: Valrhona succeeded in obtaining 100% cacao bean traceability from the producer.
  • In 2018: Valrhona made a commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2025.
  • In 2019: Valrhona revealed its new corporate mission: Together, good becomes better.
  • In 2020: Valrhona becomes B Corp Certified.

We also amended our company's corporate charter to better represent these commitments and incorporate the concepts embodied by B Corp. This actively prompts our managers and employees to take social and environmental impact into account in all daily functions, whether big or small.

     

    Continued Efforts

    Now that we have received this certification, we don’t plan on stopping there. Not only does B Corp represent a progress-oriented certification for us, but we are also driven by our mission (together, good becomes better). We want to go even further in limiting our environmental impact and helping our customers in the implementation of more responsible practices. Here are a few examples:

    • Environment: Our goal is to make our factory carbon neutral by 2020, and our entire value chain (from plantation to plate), to be carbon neutral by 2025. We also aim to have fully recyclable packaging and are investigating other inventive ways to fight packaging waste.
    • Customers: We want to share our commitments with our pastry community to help further create a positive impact on the earth. We hope to develop waste reduction solutions with our customers and even offer tools and training to involve them in this process.
    • Community: Valrhona will continue to support the Food Recovery Network organization fighting against food waste and hunger in the United States.

      • Click here to learn more about our initiatives for the future.

     

    VALRHONA B CORP

    Being a B Corp is more than a certification. It is a philosophy already embraced by more than 3,200 companies around the world. We are proud to be part of this movement.

    W3.CSS
    • 100% of our cocoa beans are traceable to the planter producer.
    • We pay premiums to guarantee a fair living income for cocoa producers.
    • We have reduced CO2 emissions linked to the activity of our factory in Tain l'Hermitage, France.
    • We are proud to have a diverse team and management committee origins of many genders and backgrounds.
    • Our next step is to bring our sustainability to employee travel.