Bonduelle Fresh Americas becomes Certified B Corporation

Irwindale, Calif.-based Bonduelle Fresh Americas, the U.S. business unit of Bonduelle Group and home of Ready Pac Bistro, is now a Certified B Corporation.

Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability, according to a news release. The achievement marks a major milestone in the company’s long-term vision to reshape the world’s food system for the health of the planet and the well-being of people, according to the company.

“At Bonduelle Fresh Americas, we are committed to making a positive impact on people, food and the planet,” CEO Andrea G. Montagna said in the release. “B Corp certification is an important and exciting step forward, validating the positive impacts we have already made, and ensuring we continue to improve. I’m very proud of our team today, and especially proud to join the B Corp community of values-driven businesses as we all work toward collective action to address society’s most critical challenges.”

B Corps are certified by B Lab, a nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet, according to the release. To gain B Corp certification, a company is measured on governance as well as how it impacts the environment, the community, its employees and its partners. Additionally, B Corps are legally committed to bringing benefits not just to shareholders, but to all business stakeholders — workers, customers, communities and the environment — and must demonstrate accountability and transparency, the release said.

With an overall B Impact Assessment score of 85.4, the release said Bonduelle Fresh Americas met high social and environmental performance requirements by:

• Hiring and training 200 individuals under the Inclusive Hiring program launched at all facilities.
• As part of Bonduelle, the business unit’s corporate governance structure was legally changed to be accountable to all stakeholders.
• Committing to transparency by allowing information about the company’s performance measured by B Lab’s standards to be publicly available.

With certification, Bonduelle Group and Bonduelle Fresh Americas take an important step in a long line of commitments to improving their impact on people and the planet, the release said. Underlining its values and commitment to creating a positive impact, Bonduelle Group set a goal in 2018 for all business units to achieve B Corp certification by 2025. In 2019, Bonduelle Fresh Americas launched its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, announcing the business unit’s commitments to improving its footprint in the U.S., according to the release. 

Bonduelle Fresh Americas has aligned its CSR goals to the B!Pact — a framework defining the company’s firm pledge to planet, food and people, which ultimately deepened the company's commitments and broadened its scope and impact, according to the release. Notable progress within the business unit’s B!Pact framework have included: 

• 75% of packaging is designed to be recycle-ready or reusable.
• 20% renewable energy powering facilities.
• 64% waste diversion at facilities.

In 2018, Bonduelle Group chose to join the B Corp movement because it aligns with the company’s mission and because the certification comprehensively and transparently measures a company’s impact on its stakeholders, the release said.

“We chose to pursue B Corp certification across Bonduelle because it’s an inspirational approach to using business as a force for good, using our collective efforts to drive lasting change in our economic systems, all for a better life,” Guillaume Debrosse, CEO of Bonduelle Group, said in the release. “We are driven by our mission and values to do better for people and the planet. We chose B Corp certification because it demonstrates how we progress in making a positive impact on all of our stakeholders, not just one or two.”

To maintain B Corp certification, Bonduelle Fresh Americas must undertake the assessment and verification process every three years to demonstrate adherence to high standards and continuous improvement.