Woodburn, OR – Crosby Hop Farm, a vertically integrated hop grower, merchant, and processor in the Pacific Northwest today confirmed it joins more than 1,700 companies globally and 68 organizations in Oregon committed to using business as a force for good.
B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, improving the quality of life in our communities through business.
“Certified B Corporations distinguish themselves by committing to higher standards of transparency, accountability and performance, creating a better way of doing business,” said Andy Fyfe of B Lab, the nonprofit behind the B Corp movement. “Crosby Hop Farm joins a bold and growing community of B Corps in the craft beer movement that values not just the beer, but the total impact of beer making. We look forward to being a platform for the leadership of Crosby Hop Farm locally and globally.”
B Corp certification is essentially to sustainable business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk. To become certified, Crosby Hop Farm had to prove that the company meets stringent performance requirements outlined in the B Impact Assessment, a globally-recognized standard that looks at environmental performance, how a company treats its employees, the impact the company has on its customers and the broader community, as well as the company’s accountability, governance, and transparency practices.
“We are excited to be the first brewing industry raw materials supplier to join fellow craft beer leaders in the pursuit of this very important global movement,” said Blake Crosby, CEO and President, Crosby Hop Farm. “The B Corp impact assessment provides a great framework for planning and continuous improvement across all aspects of our business. Just as it takes many quality ingredients to make a good beer, brewers now have the ability to select hops sourced from a Certified B Corporation.”
The Certification is a natural extension of the Crosby Hop Farm company culture. Crosby Hop Farm has many conscientious practices, including its zero waste initiative, biodiversity enhancement and native habitat restoration initiatives, solar project, setting reduction targets for operations and office energy consumption, and providing a generous benefits package for employees including ride sharing and flexible schedule options. More good things in the works include a community garden, an expanded training and professional development program, and increased community and school involvement.
“It’s our responsibility to look beyond just financial performance and commit to the triple bottom line – people, planet and profit,” said Staci Wallace, Crosby Hop Farm Quality and Sustainability Manager. “Drawing from the inspiration and support of the B Corp community, we have a tremendous opportunity to continuously improve our impact on the communities Crosby Hop Farm serves and the land that sustains us.”
Additionally, at the Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia last week, Crosby Hop Farm supplied hops to Certified B Corps (Benefit Corporations) for a collaborative beer. BREW the CHANGE was crafted together by the group at Beau’s All Natural Brewing last month. These breweries – Aslan, Beau’s, Bison, Brewery Vivant, Bull City, Hopworks, New Belgium, Persephone, and Picaroons – all believe that business can be a strong force for good in the world, and they’ve come together to celebrate this shared vision with a delicious beer made with B Corp certified ingredients.
About Crosby Hop Farm:
Crosby Hop Farm is uniquely positioned as a vertically integrated hop grower, merchant, and processor in the Pacific Northwest. Our offerings include sustainable Crosby grown options as well as grower-sourced hops from around the world. As a Certified B Corporation and Salmon-Safe grower, our commitment to our customers and stakeholders is unwavering — rooted in our core values of quality, innovation, sustainability, and community.
About B Lab:
B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. Its vision is that one day all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the Best for the World and as a result society will enjoy a more shared and durable prosperity. B Lab drives this systemic change by:
- Building a global community of Certified B Corporations who meet the highest standards of verified, overall social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability;
- Promoting Mission Alignment using innovative corporate structures like the benefit corporation to align the interests of business with those of society and to help high impact businesses be built to last;
- Helping tens of thousands of businesses, investors, and institutions Measure What Matters by using the B Impact Assessment and B Analytics to manage their impact — and the impact of the businesses with whom they work — with as much rigor as their profits;
- Inspiring millions to join the movement through compelling story-telling by B the Change Media.