Jasberry Co., Ltd. (and Siam Organic Co., Ltd.) is happy to announce that it is the first Thai food company to receive B Corporation certification from B Lab, a nonprofit certifying body in the USA. The “B” in B Corp stands for “beneficial” and indicates that certified organizations generate significant social and environmental benefits from the way they do business. Similar to other certifications like fair trade, organic, and LEED, the B Corp certification is also unique in examining how the company as a whole operates.
To determine the eligibility of companies like Jasberry to receive B Corp certification, B Lab conducts a thorough audit to measure a company’s impact on all its stakeholders — including its workers, suppliers, community, customers and the environment. Only companies that voluntarily meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability can become Certified B Corporations.
“We are proud to be Thailand’s first food company to achieve B Corp Certification. It further validates our commitment to social and environmental impact, transparency and accountability. We believe that the next generation of entrepreneurs will use business as a force for good, and tackle the world’s most pressing social and environmental issues. We want to be at the forefront of such a movement,” says Peetachai “Neil” Dejkraisak, CEO & Co-founder of Jasberry Co., Ltd. and Siam Organic Co., Ltd.
Jasberry was able to meet the high standards for B Corp certification because its social enterprise model was designed from the start to generate benefits for all of its stakeholders. Founded in 2011 to help alleviate poverty among small-scale rice farmers, Jasberry Co., Ltd. partners with over 2,000 farmers in Thailand to grow organic Jasberry™ rice, a variety of non-GMO rice that is deep purple in color and extremely high in antioxidants. Jasberry rice is marketed internationally as a premium superfood, and the company pays Jasberry farmers up to 200% more than commodity rice farmers in Thailand typically receive. Jasberry also provides farmers with training and other services to help farmers reduce planting costs while increasing yields. Through lower costs, higher yields and larger harvest payments, farmers planting Jasberry rice earn 14 times more than average Thai rice farmers, enabling them to escape poverty while making organic farming a sustainable livelihood.
Farmers are not the only stakeholders who benefit from the way Jasberry does business. All Jasberry farmers plant according to international organic standards, helping to protect the environment for local farming communities while also producing the highest quality of rice for consumers around the world. Additionally, Jasberry partners with its farmers and cooperatives to help mill and package Jasberry rice, generating more jobs in the rural communities where Jasberry rice is grown. Finally, Jasberry’s dedication to social good extends all the way to its customers, with a commitment to deliver ethically produced Jasberry rice and other organic food products that are both healthy and delicious.
Jasberry is proud to join more than 2,000 Certified B Corporations in over 140 industries and 50 countries that all have one unifying goal — to redefine success in business. B Corporations aim to create value for all of society, not just for traditional stakeholders such as company owners and shareholders. Jasberry is excited to be part of this growing movement of companies using business as a force for good, and looks forward to being a global leader in using sustainable business models to solve some of the world’s toughest social and environmental problems.
To learn more about Jasberry’s B Corp certification, please visit Jasberry’s company profile on the B Corporation website.
Keep up to date with Jasberry’s products and its work with Thai farmers on the official Jasberry website.
