There’s plenty of greenwash knocking about. It makes the Mule, well… grumpy.
B Corp is how businesses show they’re doing more than just taking your money. To get certified, you need to meet a high bar across five areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers. Score 80 or more and you’re in. But it’s not that easy. It’s a proper, roll-your-sleeves-up assessment of how a company behaves - from how it treats people to how it sources, sells and shows up in the world.
We (Cafédirect - our parent company - and Grumpy Mule) scored an ‘Outstanding’ 123.9. You're right to be impressed. It's pretty damn good.
And it’s not just about us. It’s about you - the coffee drinker who expects more from where their money goes. Because your hard-earned cash shouldn’t be funding deforestation or short-changing the people growing your coffee.
So… what does that actually mean?
Being a B Corp means we’re held to account - not just for the coffee we sell, but for how we run the whole show.
Where we’ve got our hooves firmly planted
1. Doing right by the people who grow the coffee
People grow coffee. And if they can’t earn a decent income, coffee doesn’t have much of a future.
That’s why we:
- Buy from smallholder farmers and cooperatives
- Pay a price that goes beyond the market
- Invest back into farming communities
2. Building a business that’s actually accountable
A lot of companies talk a good game. B Corp makes you prove it.
We’ve built responsibility into how the business runs - from decision-making right through to how success is measured. Not just profit, but impact too.
If you’re not measuring it, you’re probably not doing it.
3. Looking after our people (the ones closer to home)
Being a better business isn’t just about what happens at origin.
It’s also about:
- Fair pay
- Proper support
- A workplace that doesn’t treat people like replaceable parts
After all, we’re only as good as our people.
4. Taking responsibility for our impact
Coffee has a footprint. No getting around it.
So we:
- Work to reduce emissions (halve our own footprint by 2030)
- Invest in farmer-led programmes that are kinder to the environment - with our sister charity Producers Direct
- Back initiatives that move us (and the industry) forward - like Fairtrade and Organic
It’s ongoing. Always will be.
5. Playing our part in something bigger
B Corp is a collective effort to raise the bar. When one business improves, it nudges the rest along too.
And frankly, coffee needs that.
Not perfect. But moving in the right direction.
Being a B Corp doesn’t mean we’ve cracked it. It means we’ve committed to keep improving - and to being transparent about how we’re doing.
The bar doesn’t stay still. Neither do we.
You can find out more about our commitments to the people and places around us in our Manifesto for the Future of Coffee.
(The link opens to the Cafedirect website, our parent company)
