One of the great benefits of being a Certified B Corporation is that we are constantly pushed to become a better company and to forge a cycle of continuous improvement. In the certification process, we spent countless hours working on the B Impact Assessment, a rigorous standard developed by the nonprofit B Lab to assess what it takes to build a better business, and where we stand in terms of best practices around social and environmental responsibility.
Completing the B Impact Assessment allowed us to codify many of the practices we were already doing, and to identify the areas where we could improve. One of the aspirational areas we identified out of the assessment process was transparency. With that in mind, this year we set out to create our first-ever Annual Sustainability Report. This is an activity that not only earns us points on the B Impact Assessment, but also helps us learn more about ourselves, track our progress, and share our sustainability activities with all of our shareholders.
We are proud to present this Sustainability Report, which includes highlights on our B Corp Certification and assessment results, sustainable roasting operation, community giveback program, Full Cycle, and revenue transparency.
Opening message from Chief Friendship Officer, Augusto Carneiro:
How do you measure success? At Nossa Familia we could easily measure how many pounds of coffee we roasted and how much our revenue grew. But we are much more than purveyors of caffeine. We are creative and curious and we are connectors. We value individual growth as much as company growth. Success is measured in much more than financial terms.
Success, to us, means living out our core values, such as ‘ABMF’ (Always Be Making Friends). In 2016 we participated in hundreds of community events and made lots of new friends. Another one of our values is ‘Care,’ and with that in mind we donated thousands of dollars, cups of coffee, and pounds of beans to various organizations and coffee farms. We also collaborated with other like-minded businesses and hosted international guests. Our team also travelled far and wide to Guatemala, Kenya, Brazil, and our 12th Cycle Oregon.
Success also means challenging yourself to continually improve. In 2016 we became the first Certified B Corp coffee roaster in Oregon, joining 2,000 other companies in the world that aim to use ‘business as a force for good.’ As B Corp we commit to taking care of everyone in the “full cycle” of the coffee supply chain. We operate with transparency, and we are proud to offer all our staff, customers and suppliers this ‘First Ever’ Nossa Familia Sustainability report.
Our company purpose is “To deliver farm-direct coffee and develop positive relationships locally and globally.” This vision is aspirational and it is a path, not a final destination. Thank you to all our customers, suppliers, partners, staff, and the countless people that make our business possible, and are helping us forge that path. Here’s to an excellent 2017!
Leave a comment