Bonduelle Fresh focused on social and environmental impact
Bonduelle Fresh Americas, home of Ready Pac Bistro, is now a Certified B Corporation, leading the fresh salad produce industry in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. 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.
“At Bonduelle Fresh Americas, we are committed to making a positive impact on people, food and the planet,” said CEO Andrea G. Montagna. “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.”
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.
With certification, Bonduelle Group and Bonduelle Fresh Americas take an important step in a long line of commitments to improving its impact on people and the planet. 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 strategy, publicly announcing the business unit’s commitments to improving its footprint in the U.S.
Further, in 2020, Bonduelle Group helped establish the B Movement Builders, a collaborative coalition of leading multinational companies to catalyze the global movement of business as a force for good. That same year, Bonduelle Fresh Americas 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. Notable progress within the business unit’s B!Pact framework have included:
- 75 percent of packaging is designed to be recycle ready or reusable
- 20 percent renewable energy powering facilities
- 64 percent 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.
“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,” said Guillaume Debrosse, CEO of Bonduelle Group. “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.
“We are happy to welcome Bonduelle Fresh Americas into the community of Certified B Corporations committed to rising standards and economic systems change,” said Jodi Beasley, senior director of community, B Lab U.S. and Canada. “We look forward to their partnership in building a more inclusive and sustainable economy globally, and to their ongoing commitment to improving their impacts and practices for years to come.”
