California Giant Berry Farms says it is now a Certified B Corporation, which demonstrates its commitment to meeting the high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
“Our vision is to be the most sustainable fresh berry company in the world, because we believe that’s the only way to provide premium berries for generations to come,” says Joe Barsi, president and CEO of California Giant. “Becoming B Corp Certified is a significant milestone on our sustainability journey, as it holds us publicly accountable for real, lasting progress.”
Since its founding in 1983, California Giant says it has been a family-owned, purpose-driven company. As part of its sustainability road map, the company recently announced several key milestones, including:
- Enhanced grower partnerships through Fair Trade USA and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) verification programs
- Company-supported volunteer hours, as well as reinstating its Green Team that provides employee education on California Giant’s environmental and societal impacts
- A materiality assessment informed new sustainability metrics and goals for internal and external benchmarking
- Named as the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County 2024 Food Donor of the Year
- Installing a solar array at its Santa Maria, Calif., cooler, expected to offset 50% to 60% of the facility’s grid electricity use
The company says this B Corp certification is part of its broader “Berries with Purpose,” which is an ongoing commitment to nourishing communities, protecting the planet and delivering great berries for generations to come.
“With our Berries with Purpose commitment,” Catherine Campbell, director of sustainability at California Giant Berry Farms, says, “we’ve formalized our purpose, set strategic targets and openly shared our progress through our Sustainability Report. Becoming a B Corp is the result of our team’s incredible achievements to date. We’re honored to join the B Corp community as we continue to grow our positive impact in the berry industry.”
