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A force for good: Proud to be a certified B corp chocolate manufacturer
Luker Chocolate’s mission has always been to help brands and companies create purpose-driven products and drive well-being across the cocoa value chain. To further our dedication, joining B Corp was a way to certify Luker’s longstanding commitment to sustainability and using business as a force for good.
What is a Certified B Corporation?
B Corporation is a private certification of for-profit companies on their “social and environmental performance”. The process is rigorous and requires the support of teams and departments across the whole of the company.
To achieve the certification, we had to:
- Demonstrate high social and environmental performance.
- Make a legal commitment by changing our corporate governance structure to ensure accountability to all stakeholders.
- Exhibit transparency by allowing information about our performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on our B Corp profile
What was the process like for Luker Chocolate?
Since our founding in 1906, we have made substantial contributions to the sustainable development of rural communities in Colombia, transforming the cocoa value chain from its origin. For Luker, this accreditation represents another notch in our company’s belt and follows the significant business strides that accelerate progress toward our 2027 goals.
To begin, after making necessary structural changes in 2019, we aligned all business operations with our “triple-impact approach”, which seeks to raise farmer income, promote social well-being in cocoa-producing areas, and nurture the environment. We also work to create shared value at origin, thus keeping more capital within Colombia and investing profits directly back into local communities. In 2023, the full audit process took place from January to April, which included providing evidence and explanations of our efforts.
To demonstrate the balance between social and ethical standards alongside profit, B Corp certification addresses the entirety of a business’s operations and covers five key impact areas to ensure businesses are doing good for both people and the planet:
Governance | Workers | Community | Environment | Customers
We are pleased to have scored the most highly for Governance. This assesses a company’s overall mission, social and environmental engagement, ethics, transparency, and ability to consider all stakeholders in decision-making formally.
Why did Luker become B Corp certified?
Overall, CasaLuker, our parent organization, received 92.8 points from a non-profit organization, B Lab, which accredits companies with B Corp certification after they meet or exceed the rigorous Impact Assessment criteria.
Aside from evaluating our operational practices, B Lab reviewed our impact models for poverty mitigation in the supply chain and the hiring of vulnerable populations (people with low incomes, up to high school education, young people with their first job, migrants, etc.). These measures aid in narrowing the employment access gap while offering avenues for skill development and access to advanced education in technical and professional programs.
Furthermore, B lab also highlighted our Sanitation and Toxin Reduction Model, based on the inclusion of products such as organic cocoa and organic cleaning products, to measure, mitigate, and offset greenhouse gas emissions.
Overall, the questions within the assessment tool really helped us hone in on the areas that we needed to consider in order to achieve certification. They’ve also enabled us to make many improvements to our internal processes, with more still to come.
“This certification recognises the work we’re already doing and the responsible sourcing practices we have in place. We’re excited to continue raising the standards for our industry and aligning people and the planet with profit.”
Julia Ocampo, Sustainability Director at Luker Chocolate.
What does this mean for Luker’s future sustainability practices?
Our commitment to transparency and sustainability extends beyond measuring ourselves against the rigorous B Corp standards. As showcased in our latest Sustainability Progress Report, we are making remarkable strides in farmer empowerment, environmental stewardship, and responsible sourcing.
The Chocolate Dream, launched in 2018, has been a huge asset to support and transform the cocoa farming industry in Colombia by 2030. With a goal to create a significant, sustainable, and positive future for cocoa farming communities and the wider chocolate industry, we can continue delivering a product that aligns with the high standards and ethics of our customers.
Committed to making a true difference in the cocoa value chain
We have always been proud of our achievements and progress to becoming one of the world’s leading companies in positive social and environmental impact. This accreditation provides us with international recognition and reinforces our high environmental, social, and transparency practices. More importantly, we can also now use our knowledge and experience to improve and impact all stakeholders, creating shared value across the full cocoa chain.
We would like to express our gratitude towards everyone who has supported the implementation and development of actions during the audit process and those who contributed evidence from various departments. We are all responsible for our future, so let us create as much positive change in the world as possible.
