Ricola’s Commitment to Positive Impact: Officially Recognized as a B Corporation

March 4, 2024

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Ricola, a leading manufacturer of herb drops, has recently achieved an important milestone on their sustainability journey by becoming a certified B Corporation™. This significant step reflects Ricola’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility, in line with the company’s values as a family-owned enterprise.

B Corporations are verified by non-profit organization B Lab, which assesses companies based on their social and environmental impact, legal commitment to responsible practices, and transparency. As a B Corporation, Ricola has demonstrated its dedication to these high standards.

Ricola’s strong focus on responsibility and sustainability has been ingrained in the company since its inception. Their respect for the Swiss Alpine ecosystems, which produce the herbs used in their products, has been a fundamental principle for the company. From organic herb cultivation to environmentally sound manufacturing processes, Ricola is dedicated to preserving and nurturing these ecosystems and their biodiversity, ensuring a positive impact on the environment and society.

“We owe everything to nature. Becoming a B Corporation aligns with our identity as a family-owned company and our dedication to connecting people with nature,” says Thomas P. Meier, CEO of Ricola. “It’s about balancing our ambitions for growth with our responsibilities to the planet and its people.”

Jonathan Normand, Founder and CEO of B Lab Switzerland, commends Ricola for their commitment to sustainability and their exemplary leadership in this area. He says, “B Lab Switzerland Foundation is truly honored to welcome Ricola into the B Corp movement. As an iconic Swiss company with nearly a century of unwavering commitment to nature and communities, Ricola embodies the principles of using business as a force for good. Their dedication to resiliency and sustainability leadership is exemplary.”

Ricola has developed a comprehensive sustainability strategy, focusing on six core areas where they can have the most significant impact: agriculture principles, waste management, packaging innovation, climate change mitigation, water conservation, and ethical sourcing. The company has set quantitative targets for each area and implements annual “footsteps” to achieve these goals. This sustainability effort is managed across the Ricola Group, with each part of the company playing a role in the collective journey towards sustainability.

As a B Corporation, Ricola is required to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, including continuous improvements towards recertification every three years, to ensure compliance and progress. The company has committed to evaluating its sustainability performance using globally recognized key figures and plans to report on its progress biennially according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, which are applied by a multitude of companies worldwide. The initial report for 2022 is available for download on the company’s website.

To accompany this news, a photo is available at AP.

Ricola, founded in 1930 and headquartered in Laufen near Basel, is a global brand renowned for its high-quality herb drops and tea specialties. The company exports its products to 45 countries and is a pioneer in herb cultivation, with a strong focus on carefully selected locations and environmentally friendly cultivation methods. Ricola has established long-term purchase agreements with around 85 farmers in Swiss mountain regions. As a certified B Corporation, Ricola is committed to sustainable corporate management and is a responsible employer. The company’s success is rooted in its traditional family values, Swiss quality, and passion for innovation.

B Lab is a non-profit network that drives economic systems change by creating standards, policies, tools, and programs that shift the behavior, culture, and structure of capitalism. They mobilize the global B Corp community towards collective action to address society’s most pressing challenges.

Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ricola Group Ltd.

Corporate Communications

Baselstrasse 31

4242 Laufen

Ph. +41 (0)61 765 41 21

media@ricola.com

Foundation B Lab Switzerland

Press & Media Team

Rue de Lyon 77

1203 Geneva

media@blab-switzerland.ch