March is B Corp Month – a time for us to reflect on and share what being a B Corp has looked like over the course of the last 12 months and the importance of what it means to us today.
First off, what are B Corporations?
According to B Lab, the certifying organization for B Corps, “Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.” There are currently over 3,800 Certified B Corporations in more than 74 countries. 138 of those companies reside in Oregon.
Where We Started
In 2016 Nossa Familia Coffee became Oregon’s first B Corp Certified Coffee Roaster, showing our commitment to the Triple Bottom Line of People, Planet and Profit. We see coffee as a force for good – both as a responsibility and as an opportunity to make a positive impact in the world.
What does being a B Corp look like at Nossa Familia today?
Most importantly, being a B Corp means that we measure more than our profit. We strive to continually improve our social practices and our environmental impact with every commitment we make. Our commitments as a B Corp include:
- Purchasing 100% renewable energy at all Nossa facilities
- Reducing roasting energy & emissions by up to 80% using Loring machines
- Implementing extensive Zero Waste initiatives in our roastery & cafés
- Paying above Fair Trade prices to our coffee farmers
- Having a local, and sustainable purchasing policy to guide procurement
- Offering paid volunteer & pro-bono time for employees to engage with community organizations
- Donating at least 10% of annual profits to nonprofit organizations
Being a B Corp in 2020
A year after the start of a global pandemic, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally looking a little brighter. When we look back at 2020 we're left with an enormous amount of gratitude. The show of resilience from everyone involved in our coffee supply chain - from our staff and our farmers to our stakeholders, made being a B Corp particularly meaningful. Our corporate giving, as a result of customer purchases of our Giveback coffees, was up nearly 19%; and while we did lose ground in our zero-waste efforts when we temporarily halted our in-cafe and reusable cup service, we’re currently seeing encouraging numbers with every reusable cup we fill in our cafes.
2020 Nossa Familia by the Numbers
• 283,669 lbs of coffee was roasted
• 156,640 lbs of C02e were saved by roasting on our energy-efficient Loring machines - over 80% less emissions than standard roasters
• 14,073 lattes were served at our cafes
• 43% of lattes served were made with plant based milk - presenting a lower Global Warming Potential than lattes made with dairy milk
• 6,244 disposable cups were saved from the landfill thanks to 63% of customers bringing their own reusable cups or choosing for-here from January through March 15, 2020 (prior to COVID-19 closures and policy changes)
• 2,426 lbs of coffee was donated to community partners on the front lines from sales of Delicia coffee
• $23,280 in-kind and $17,134 in cash was donated to local nonprofits
• $10,336 was donated to The Street Trust and Community Cycling Center from sales of our Full Cycle Coffee
• $2,140 was donated to the De la Gente Young Farmers Fund from sales of Festa & Next Generation Roast with New Seasons
2020 Milestones
• Hosting Black-owned Guest Coffee Roasters in our cafes
• Amplifying Black-owned businesses and nonprofit organizations supporting diversity and inclusion including:
• Conducting a 10 week series of anti-racism workshops for Nossa Familia staff working from the Adaway Group list of "White Dominant Organizational Norms/Characteristics" adapted from the "White Supremacy Culture Characteristics" document by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun
• Becoming a member of Prosper Portland's Portland Means Progress city-wide initiative designed to create a more inclusive economy in Portland
• Launching a new Nossa Cares Program to Support Our Staff during COVID-19 and to donate coffee to local organizations providing food and care to those in need
• In December of 2019 Nossa joined 500+ B Corp Businesses to commit to Net Zero by 2030
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