North Carolina-based Gaia Herbs announced it is now a Certified B Corporation, joining a growing community of purpose-driven companies that use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
B Corp Certification is administered by the non-profit organization B Lab. Certified B Corporations, or B Corps as they are commonly referred to, are for-profit companies that meet the highest level of third party verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose.
Gaia Herbs joins the group of approximately 2,600 leading inspirational companies in the world that have attained this certification. The company was founded on the values to do no harm to people, plants or planet. As Angela McElwee, president of Gaia Herbs noted, “Brands must make a choice about what they stand for, and simply selling a high-quality product is no longer enough. 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.”
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.
Since 1997, Gaia Herbs has managed 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. Gaia Herbs has also been a leader in corporate transparency, developing the world’s first comprehensive transparency and traceability platform, meetyourherbs.com, allowing consumers to learn about the origin of herbs found in every Gaia Herbs product. In 2017, Gaia Herbs also became a Certified Living Wage Employer.
For more information, visit www.gaiaherbs.com.
