Feature: Certification Nation

The natural products industry may be united in its mission to care for people and planet, but with a plethora of environmental and ethical certifications crowding the market, how do brands choose between the likes of B Corp and organic — and what matters more to consumers? Matt Chittock investigates.

To B Corp or not to B Corp? That’s the question facing many natural brands looking to stand out in the thick forest of on-shelf certification. And many seem to be choosing the former. Right now there are over 2,000 certified B Corporations (B Corps) in the UK — a figure reported to have doubled in the last 18 months.

Rapid rise of B Corps

According to a B Lab UK spokesperson, the B Corp movement is ‘transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet’. The rapid rise in certified B Corps, they say, ‘highlights the strong appetite for business to be used as a force for good’, while the stringent process of certification itself ‘can be transformational for any business that wants to act in a more impactful way.

Look at the list and you’ll see plenty of natural names signposted, including Cheeky Panda, Mr Organic and Cafédirect.

So what exactly are they signing up to? B Corps are international organizations certified to meet what founding body B Lab calls ‘the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability’. B Labs is a relative newcomer to the certification market, founded in 2006 in the US. It aims to give companies a financial and ethical edge, citing research from the ONS that certified businesses grow 28 times faster than the UK’s 0.5% national economic growth.

It’s an impressive upward trajectory. But will it make a lasting mark on the UK’s natural products category? For clues, it’s worth comparing what the organic movement has managed to achieve. The Soil Association launched its first standards back in 1973 and the category as a whole seems to be passing the test of time; according to the 2024 Organic Market Report, the total organic market grew 2% in 2023, ending the year worth £3.2 billion — almost double its value in 2011.

Sea of competition

Both B Corps and organic brands have to take their place in a sea of competing ethical schemes — from Fairtrade to Red Tractor. And Adrian Carne, chair of UK ORGANIC, believes this could be causing a certain amount of ‘certification fatigue’.

“This has become a very competitive sector,” he says. “In organic we have so many different organizations and so many different messages. When customers go into Whole Foods to buy their chocolate they’re bombarded by different symbols and claims. So how do they decide what to buy?”

Anchor message

Carne affirms that the organic movement has real history and heritage to draw on in the UK. The modern organic market is diverse; it encompasses both smaller grassroots players looking to sell to farm shops, and more commercial operations with ambitions to scale up what they do. Whatever the size, they have lots to talk about, from eco benefits to good news about health.

The challenge for UK ORGANIC is to develop and communicate a unified ‘anchor message’ to achieve its aim of being the sector’s marketing board.

Doubling down

Naturally, in 2024 certification doesn’t come in silos. Some companies, like long-standing ethical breakfast brand Rude Health, go for both. “It’s important to note that organic is a product certification, whereas B Corp is a company certification,” says Sam Maguire, head of marketing at the brand. “So, it’s not a case of either/or — but both being important for Rude Health.” Maguire says the team values the ‘rigorous certification’ required to be classified as organic and believes this means the company’s suppliers are ‘held to the highest standards, and this in turn results in a positive impact on the environment’. “However, there is work to do to help people understand better what organic means, as there tends to be confusion,” he adds.

People, profit, planet

As far as B Corp certification goes, Maguire explains that the way Rude Health operates has been ‘well aligned’ to the B Lab principles of balancing people, planet and profit. “It was less a case of pursuing a B Corp certification and more a case of getting certified for the work that we were already doing,” he says. “For us, this is the way all businesses should work in order to create a sustainable future for our population, our economy and our planet.”

Maguire feels there is still a way to go before B Corp hits ‘mass awareness’, but adds: “There’s increasing awareness that this is a marker of businesses who have a positive impact. As more businesses become certified, the awareness of what being a B Corp means will continue to grow. For us, it is first and foremost about doing the right thing. It will never be the thing we shout loudest about, but it’s a status we’re very proud of.” 

‘Organic speaks for itself’

Winning over brands is one thing. But what do retailers and their customers think of these certifications?

Debbie Gregory — who owns and runs Elixir Health & Wellbeing with husband Neil — believes organic’s established status is an important factor in its success. “I think that organic speaks for itself. We have customers who go out of their way to buy it – they absolutely know exactly what it’s all about. I haven’t really heard customers talk about B Corp certification in the same way. Our staff definitely know about it and it’s something we take into account when we’re looking at new brands. But I think there’s still a bit of work to be done. The criteria they use might need tightening. There are some brands who are B Corps and you think – well does the way they treat their employees really fit in with B Corp values?”

By Matt Chittock, features writer