Valrhona said it was certified as a B Corporation, joining companies around the world that place their societal mission at the core of their purpose. The companies meet the most demanding standards in terms of social and environmental impact.

According to the Tain-l'Hermitage, France-based company, B Corporation certification measures company performance in five areas: governance, workers, customers, community and environment. To qualify, a company must to take into account all of these dimensions, and not simply shareholder value. Information is scored on a 200-point scale, with a minimum of 80 points required to receive the precious certification.

After earning 88.3 points, Valrhona said it is now the largest chocolate-maker for professionals in the world to earn the B Corporation certification. Of the 80,000 organizations worldwide that have undertaken the evaluation, only 3,200 have received the certification, representing 130 industries and 60 countries.

As part of the B Corporation certification framework, Valrhona said it changed its articles of incorporation, adding that the company will take into account the impact of its decisions on the planet and stakeholders such as employees, clients and suppliers. The objective is to place social and environmental requirements at the same level as its profits.

“Valrhona has been engaged in the responsible transformation of its economic and organizational model for several years. The company is working toward a just and sustainable cacao sector, [taking] care of the planet and [pushing] boundaries in gastronomy so that it is more responsible,” said Clémentine Alzial, CEO of Valrhona.