Colombian coffee chain Juan Valdez Café has received B Corp certification, becoming on of the first coffee chains in the world to receive the title.
The Colombian company representing coffee growers joins a group of companies whose business purpose is to contribute to the solution of the main social and environmental problems of our time.
Since 2002, the purpose of Juan Valdez has been to “conquer the world” with premium Colombian coffees and give a leading place to its coffee growers, who, in addition to being the owners of the brand, are the suppliers of its coffee. It is so with the support of the National Federation of Coffee Growers, Juan Valdez has served the interests of coffee families, which are mostly small and medium producers.
The main purpose of the company is to generate value beyond the economic for Colombian coffee growers. For this reason, it has not only worked to have a transparent and traceable supply chain and has developed high standards of corporate governance, but also constantly watches over the wellbeing of its producers and collaborators and is also committed to achieving better social and environmental practices at every stage of its operation.
Juan Valdez Cafe began its certification process as a B Corp in 2019, a recognition granted by B Lab – a non-profit organisation in the United States, which has recognized 3700 companies in the world so far. The B Movement recognises companies that don’t measure their success only by economic results, but also by their social and environmental performance.
“The B Movement is pleased to welcome Juan Valdez and we are sure that with its example, we will continue to show the whole world how it is possible to achieve financial profitability and, at the same time, the solution of the great challenges that we have as a society. This is the new definition of business success,” says Camilo Ramírez, Executive Director of B Corporation in Colombia.
This certification, which is obtained by only 3 per cent of companies that complete the B Lab evaluation, confirms Juan Valdez’s purpose in generating value through its business model. This involved a rigorous review process of all Juan Valdez’s dimensions and a complete analysis of the impact that is generated.
“We are proud to belong to this movement of companies that aspire to be not only the best in the world, but the best for the world. The B company certification allows us to ratify our commitment with Colombian coffee growers, with our collaborators and with society in general, by showing that we are continually seeking to provide concrete solutions from the environmental, social and economic aspects to contribute to the development of our country and the world,” says Camila Escobar, CEO of Juan Valdez.
