Blackmores began the application process in 2022, which was paused in the following year due to Kirin’s acquisition. The assessments resumed in 2024, with the company officially obtaining B Corp certification this February.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The certification applies across all Blackmores brands, including Blackmores, BioCeuticals, Blackmores Institute, and Pure Animal Wellbeing, as well as in all regions where the company operates.
“Interestingly, the principles ingrained in the company when Maurice Blackmore founded it more than 90 years ago are completely aligned with the B Corp mission. His purpose was to improve lives through better health and well-being, nurture the earth, use nature’s resources with respect, treat employees like family and owners of the business, give back to the community, and partner with others to make a difference.
“We know that to solve worldwide challenges, we need to work as a global community, and that’s why our supplier and industry partnerships are at the heart of our progress toward a more sustainable industry. The B Corp Certification process required us to engage stakeholders from all areas of the business to take stock of our current performance and future aspirations,” Sally Townsend, Head of Sustainability at Blackmores, told NutraIngredients-Asia.
According to Townsend, B Corp certification is well established across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and has mounting significance in Asia, especially among younger demographics and conscious consumers.
“In general, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues related to the sources of products they buy and the impact of packaging. B Corp certification requires companies to disclose the approaches they use to manage these issues and be accountable for continuous improvement.
“Though consumers do not always consider the human rights of workers in the supply chain, there are sectors where workers are typically more vulnerable, such as fisheries and herb picking, and this is another aspect considered through B Corp certification.”
Consumers’ increasing preference for more sustainable brands is not the only driver of high standards across the sector. In particular, the impact of climate change on raw materials is a key consideration to ensure resilient supply chains for Blackmores’ products.
“The growing consumer expectations for sustainable products and emerging mandatory climate disclosure requirements in financial reporting are two principal forces driving sustainability ambitions.”
At the same time, aligning ambitions with retailers is a “real opportunity” to create value, whether in consumer propositions or approaches to climate resilience.
“A lot of progress has been made in recent years to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Now, the focus has shifted due to growing requirements to disclose our scope 3 or value chain emissions, and the only way to do this is by collaborating with our business partners.”
Scope 3 emissions are GHG emissions that occur along the value chain, encompassing activities that are not directly conducted or controlled by the company itself, such as those from suppliers, transportation, and product usage.
Certification of value
While Australia’s regulatory framework provides assurance of quality and safety standards for health and nutrition products in the local market, there are “broader perspectives” that sit outside of these requirements, which B Corp certification is said to address.
“Blackmores Institute and our research partners’ efforts in building scientific evidence and knowledge base for potent and efficacious natural products have furthered consumers’ confidence in our product claims.
“Nevertheless, therapeutic herbs are vulnerable to environmental and other challenges around the world — sectors that we rely on, such as herb picking and fisheries, are vulnerable to human rights issues. And we are reliant on millions of workers along complex supply chains, as sourcing natural ingredients is spread across diverse regions and dependent on specific climates.”
Townsend said that the hurdle to obtaining B Corp certification was high because of Blackmores’ strong presence in Asia, manufacturing footprint, and global supply chain.
“Nevertheless, that was also a sign of our capacity to make a greater impact as a responsible business. This is important to our partners, customers, consumers, as well as our people. We’re now part of a global movement working to ensure that our business is a force for good. When we’re living through times of major uncertainty, that’s very motivating.
“We worked with a broad community of colleagues throughout the certification process — one action at a time — and it was important to maintain enough humility to know when we needed to be more ambitious while still being driven by the understanding that this was of value.”
As part of the process to achieve the certification, the company implemented several key initiatives.
These include incorporating assessment of biodiversity practices into supplier screening, strengthening partnerships that support sustainable sourcing, and transitioning to 100% renewable electricity at all major sites and introducing water efficiency targets.
