Canadian canned seafood supplier Ocean Brands has achieved Certified B Corporation status, the company announced this month.
As a B Corp, Ocean Brands, which specializes in the sale of canned tuna and salmon, is able to demonstrate the “highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and accountability to balance profit and purpose,” the company said in a press release. To become a B Corp, the supplier had to prove that it measures and manages the impact of its business on its workers, community, and environment, to the same extent that it does its profits.
The Gold Seal and Ocean’s brands canned seafood provider joins a group of more than 2,800 Certified B Corporations from 150 industries, across 60 countries, that are dedicated to “accelerating a global cultural shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy,” according to the company’s press release.
“Working at Ocean Brands is about building something bigger than ourselves,” Ocean Brands President Ian Ricketts said. “Business will only be successful long-term when we build value for consumers that also helps solve the biggest social and environmental issues of our day. Canadians can be assured when they purchase Gold Seal- and Ocean’s-branded seafood, they are supporting a company that is making positive change for the environment and its employees.”
“B Corp certification is a high bar for companies to meet, and demonstrates a commitment to ethical practices and operations. We’re incredibly proud to welcome Ocean Brands to the community of over 2,800 companies globally that have met these standards,” added Kasha Huk, B Lab Canada’s country manager. “As Canada’s leading distributor of sustainably sourced canned fish and seafood products, Ocean Brands is defining industry standards and providing consumers an avenue to help make a positive impact with their purchasing decisions. Ocean Brands works closely with suppliers to ensure that production standards are maintained and that workers are treated fairly in the countries where they work.”
Ocean Brands underwent a nine-month certification process to attain its B Corp status. Ocean Brands is a division of the Jim Pattison Group, one of Canada’s largest private firms, with an annual revenue of CAD 10.6 billion (USD 7.8 billion, EUR 7.04 billion) and a workforce of 46,000 employees in 541 locations worldwide.
“We wanted to measure ourselves and our efforts against the most rigorous business standards in the world,” Ricketts said. “Ocean Brands is striving to attain the highest social, environmental, and ethical standards and we are proud to have been awarded a B Corp certification. Having a comprehensive view of what ‘doing good’ means, will allow us to continually improve on our certification.”
Based out of Berwyn, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., B Lab is a non-profit entity with the goal, through its B Corporation certification, of measuring “a company’s entire social and environmental performance.” The organization conducts a B Impact Assessment (BIA) which evaluates how a company’s operations and business model impacts its workers, community, environment, and customers. The BIA takes into consideration a business’ supply chain, input materials, charitable giving, and employee benefits. The BIA entry is assessed by B Lab, which will determine if the company meets the 80-point bar for certification.
In addition to Ocean Brands, other seafood companies that are B Corps include Luke’s Lobster, Organic Ocean Seafood Inc., Fishpeople, Sea To Table, KLG Fine Food Company, Hog Island Oyster Co. Inc, Integra Chile S.A., and Bamboo Sushi.
