In this episode of Beyond the B, co-hosts Ryan Honeyman and Emmy Allison explore the recent decision by Dr. Bronner’s to decertify as a B Corporation. Ryan kicks off the episode with a monologue offering both a generous interpretation of the decision and constructive feedback on how the announcement could have been handled differently.
Then, Emmy and Ryan are joined by Farmer Cee (Clarenda Stanley), CEO of Green Heffa Farms and a leader in the B Corp community. As a Black woman in regenerative agriculture, a small business owner, and the first company to go through the B Lab Level program, Farmer Cee shares her candid reaction to Dr. Bronner’s decision. She discusses the implications for small and historically excluded businesses, the importance of maintaining rigorous yet accessible standards, and the broader impact on the B Corp community.
Tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- The motivations behind Dr. Bronner’s decision and its impact on the B Corp movement
- How supply chain-focused B Corps face different challenges than service-based B Corps
- The importance of balancing accessibility with rigorous standards in certification
- The evolution of the Level program and its role in expanding B Corp accessibility
- The tension between calling in vs. calling out within the B Corp community
- What the future of ethical certification might look like
Quotations:
"Sustainability and ethical business can’t be another gated community where those with generational industry power decide when the space is valid and when it’s time to move on." — Farmer Cee
"Is it really dilution, or is it increasing accessibility? What looks like a lower bar for some may actually be making certification attainable for businesses that have been historically excluded." — Farmer Cee
"If the mission of B Corp needs strengthening, then strengthen it. But it starts to feel like power plays when influential companies exit instead of working to improve the system." — Farmer Cee
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
- Green Heffa Farms: https://www.greenheffafarms.com
- Follow Green Heffa Farms on Instagram: @greenheffafarms
- Follow Farmer Cee on LinkedIn: Clarenda Stanley
- Learn more about the B Lab US & Canada Level Program: B Lab Website
We Want to Hear from You
We want to hear from you! Email us at beyond@lifteconomy.com with requests for content, suggestions for future guests, and feedback about our episodes.
Help Us Grow the Show!
We are trying to grow our audience and wanted to ask you a huge favor.
Try to think of one person that might like this show. Then, pull out your phone, and text them something like:
Hey, I think you might like this new podcast Beyond the B. Check it out at lifteconomy.com/beyond. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!
Seriously! Take out your phone and try it right now! Then, follow up with them to see how they liked it.
This would be super helpful for us. We deeply appreciate your support. 😊
Gratitude:
Thank you to Corey Lien, Nozomii Torii, and Kirsten G. Bryant for being our monthly contributors at Beyond the B!
