Boston Organics, a local company that delivers fresh organic produce to homes and offices, announced today that it has become a Certified B Corporation™. In order to be recognized as a Certified B Corporation, Boston Organics had to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

Boston Organics participated in an assessment process established by B Lab, the B Corporation certification body, which looked at Boston Organics’ operations, hiring and promotion procedures, environmental management practices, and governance. Unlike traditional corporations, Certified B Corporations are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, suppliers, community, consumers, and the environment.

“We are honored to be part of a growing business community that is committed to operating in a way that is not only profitable, but also considers the people and environment it impacts,” says Jeff Barry, Founder and President of Boston Organics.

B Corporation certification is the most recent step that Boston Organics has taken to strengthen and demonstrate its commitment to sustainable, socially responsible practices. Boston Organics’ social and environmental practices include extensive recycling and composting programs, efficient delivery routing, strong community involvement, and food donation partnerships with local nonprofits. In 2012, Boston Organics donated over 50,000 pounds of organic produce to people in need through a partnership with Cambridge-based Food For Free and provided donations to over 80 local community organizations.

“One motivation for starting Boston Organics was to have a positive impact on society through our mission and business practices,” says Barry. “By becoming a certified B Corporation, we now have an objective and transparent set of standards to measure ourselves against. The certification process not only tells us how we are doing, but provides us with guidance to improve in areas that are important to us.”

Started in Boston by Jeff Barry in 2002, Boston Organics works directly with organic farms and suppliers to deliver boxes of fresh, certified organic produce directly to homes and offices in the Greater Boston area. With a mission to provide consumers with convenient access to fresh, healthy foods, Boston Organics delivers year-round, with no long-term commitments or delivery fees. The company also delivers fresh organic fruits to businesses in the Greater Boston area, helping local companies provide healthy snack options for their employees.

In addition to becoming a Certified B Corp, Boston Organics is a certified Sustainable Business Leader by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, and in 2011, the company was awarded the Sustainable Food Leadership Award from Mayor Menino and the City of Boston.

Boston Organics’ full B Impact Report is available to the public here: www.bcorporation.net/community/boston-organics.

About Boston Organics
Boston Organics is an independent organic produce and grocery delivery service that connects consumers and businesses in the greater Boston area with fresh seasonal produce from organic farms. Boston Organics’ mission is to provide access to fresh, organic produce to promote and support healthy living in a mindful and sustainable way that respects the environment and supports local farms, local businesses, and fair-trade practices.

About B Corp
Certified B Corporations 1) meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance; 2) legally expand their corporate responsibilities to include consideration of stakeholder interests; and 3) build collective voice through the power of the unifying B Corporation brand. As of August 2012, there were over 580 Certified B Corporations from over 60 industries, representing a diverse multi-billion dollar marketplace.

About B Lab
B Lab is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. B Lab drives systemic change through three interrelated initiatives: 1) building a community of Certified B Corporations to make it easier for all of us to tell the difference between “good companies” and just good marketing; 2) accelerating the growth of the impact investing asset class through use of B Lab’s GIIRS impact rating system by institutional investors; and 3) promoting supportive public policies, including creation of a new corporate form and tax, procurement, and investment incentives for sustainable business.

Boston Organics

Boston Organics

Boston Organics is an independent organic produce and grocery delivery service that connects consumers and businesses in the greater Boston area with fresh seasonal produce from organic farms.

Boston Organics' mission is to provide access to fresh, organic produce to promote and support healthy living in a mindful and sustainable way that respects the environment and supports local farms, local businesses and fair-trade practices.

More from Boston Organics