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To B or Not to B: Getting certified as a B Corp or becoming a legal B Corporation (there is a difference) is gaining momentum as a way to promote ethical business practices while being a socially conscious example for other for-profit entities. But is it necessary, or worth it? By Tracy Allen IT'S NO SECRET that our industry loves its third-party certifi cations of fair wages and environmentally friendly farming. We've led the world in helping consumers feel confi dent that their money is going toward enterprises that take responsibility for their workers and the environ- ment, with Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, Bird Friendly, organic, and UTZ labeling. Like any system that tries to put guardrails on complicat- ed processes, they're imperfect. We continue supporting them, though, because they're still giant leaps in the right direction. Do we need another certifi cation to back up our best practices and good intentions? It might seem ridiculous to tack on one more label, but the ones above certify that products are produced responsibly, not that the company that sells the products is operating across other sectors with the greater good in mind. A company that wastes raw resources, pays employees below-market wages, or instills a culture of workaholism instead of supporting work-life balance can still sell Fair Trade coffee. When more ethical practices are third-party verifi ed, so consumers can be confi dent they're buying from companies that support the public good on the whole, my bet is a lot of Americans would try to do it. That's where B Corp certifi cation comes in. ("B" stands for "ben- efi t.") You've probably heard of it—it was created by the nonprofi t B Lab in 2006, with the fi rst companies being certifi ed by 2008 including high-profi le types like Seventh Generation, Dansko, and King Arthur Flour. B Lab describes B Corp as "to business what Fair Trade certi- fi cation is to coffee," so it's no surprise that more than a dozen coffee companies are offi cially onboard. Portland, Ore.-based B Corp, Sustainable Harvest, long a propo- nent of the system, even went so far as to launch the fi rst B Corp–cer- tifi ed supply chain during the annual B Corp Champions Retreat in October. Working with its B Corp –certifi ed roaster partner, Equator Coffees out of the San Francisco Bay Area, and Portland-based B Corp–certifi ed gourmet grocery chain New Seasons Markets, Sustain- able Harvest debuted Question Coffee, the result of this supply chain. B Corp—certifi ed businesses aim to use commerce as a force for good by giving individuals and their communities real opportunities like competitive wages, commitment to diversity, and a healthy work environment, along with civic engagement and energy effi ciency. As explained on the B Lab website: "To be certifi ed by B Lab, a compa- ny must achieve a minimum score of 80 points [out of 200 on the B Impact Assessment] to show positive impact, pass a phone review, submit supporting documentation on a portion of their application, and be available for a possible on-site review, for which it will receive advance notice." Filling out the B Impact Assessment takes a couple of hours, and can be saved and resumed online, so you don't have to do it all at once. The questions are tailored to your business size and type (50 variations in all), and the whole process is free of charge. Whether you make the 80-point threshold or not, the process could be worthwhile and eye-opening simply in showing you how you compare to other businesses on social and environmental policies and procedures. Though the B Corp 200-point scale is based on a company's pre- vious year of operations, start-ups may also apply, and can use the "certifi cation pending" B Corp logo in their fi rst year. Angela Vendetti, owner of Mugshots Coffeehouse, a café and catering business in Philadelphia, recently told www.philly.com that taking the B Impact Assessment is a great idea. "You might be surprised how well you're already doing." If you want to be greener, she suggests making small changes gradually, "like switching to green multipurpose cleaners. Cleaning with baking soda and vinegar is really simple and cheap." There is also established annual reporting required of B Corps, relative to their social and environmental performance. While it may seem tedious—about as fun as doing your taxes—think of it as an op- portunity to tell the story of your company's positive impact on society or the environment. One such storytelling B Corp is Caravela Coffee, with its goal of decommodifying coffee, to "pay the coffee growers a much better price," according to cofounder Alejandro Cadena. Named among the 15 best B Corps of 2015 with a score in the top 10 percent of all certifi ed B Corps, Caravela's staff is involved in every aspect of production, from consulting with coffee growers on best practices, to sales around the world. Like a lot of specialty green-coffee companies, Caravela maintains strong ties with growers. The company also has warehouses right in the Colombian countryside that are run by small- scale coffee-producing families. "Instead of being colonizers, we are a part of the community," Alejandro recently told German media outlet Deutsche Welle. B Corp Certification vs. Benefit Corporation Legal Status After B Lab worked to certify businesses as B Corps, they set a goal of creating a whole new legal status for social enterprises. In 2010, they helped pass the fi rst benefi t-corporation act, in Maryland, en- abling businesses to actually incorporate as a B corporation instead of an S corp, C corp, or LLC. A B corporation can be a certifi ed B Corp, but it doesn't have to be, especially if the founders of the company can't afford the certifi cation from B Lab (more on this later). Likewise, a B Corp can be a B corpo- ration, but it could instead be an LLC, a regular corporation, a limited partnership, or another type of legal business entity. B corporation status is not yet available in every state. It is taking 74 barista magazine