Certification was granted by global nonprofit B Lab, which grants its Certified B Corporation recognition to for-profit organizations in any industry that voluntarily meet certain standards of transparency, accountability, sustainability, and performance.
There are more than 2,600 companies certified as B Corporation in industries from apparel to credit providers to media and more.
Other dietary supplement companies that have received this certification include Megafoods, Olly, New Chapter, Organic India, and Herbalist & Alchemist.
In a press release, Gaia Herbs described the certification as a symbol for “purpose-driven companies that use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.”
“Brands must make a choice about what they stand for, and simply selling a high-quality product is no longer enough,” said Angela McElwee, President of Gaia Herbs.
“B Corp Certification offers the consumer a trust mark, signaling a commitment beyond product integrity, to include environment, community and employees all as valued stakeholders. Gaia has modeled these tenets from our humble beginnings, 31 years ago, and is honored to join with so many other conscious organizations as a Certified B Corporation.”
Making the cut
In order to receive B Corp Certification, companies must meet a minimum verified score on the B Corp Assessment, a rigorous analysis of a company’s impact across its entire operations, including employee relations, customers, community impact, and environmental stewardship – and make its B Impact Report transparent on Bcorporation.net.
Certified B Corporations also amend their legal governing documents to require their board of directors to balance profit and purpose.
For Gaia Herbs, the certification is an extension of its commitment “to operate in a responsible way,” according to the press release.
Examples of corporate social responsibility efforts the company has put in place is its 350-acre Certified Organic farm in the mountains of Western North Carolina, incorporating regenerative farming practices to improve soil health and conserve the surrounding ecosystem, which it has maintained since 1997.
Other examples include Gaia Herbs’ meetyourherbs.com transparency platform, where consumers can look up the origin of the herbs in a product from farm to shelves, and in 2017, Gaia Herbs became a Certified Living Wage Employer.
