Garlic Farm Certified as a B-Corporation
After five years of collaborative effort, The Isle of Wight’s Garlic Farm has been certified as a B Corporation by B Lab, the global not-for-profit network. Having been recognised as meeting rigorous social and environmental standards, The Garlic Farm has joined a growing group of organisations using business as a force for good.
The B Corp certification addresses the entirety of a business’s operations and covers five key impact areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. Working towards B-Corporation helped to stimulate a renewed focus into the Farms’s ethics and values. Over several years and workshops “sharing many words”, they distilled everything down to two: “Efficiency” and “Respect”. Efficiency includes reducing waste, resource efficiency, environment and ecology, and considered purchasing. Respect covers people, customers and community, training and development, wellness and safety, and financial security.
Natasha Edwards was born and raised on The Garlic Farm and now runs the family business with her husband, Barnes. She and Barnes speak for the family when they say: “We are incredibly proud of the team for learning so much about restorative and respectful practices within all these categories. Over time we will be sharing details of the changes, improvements, and efficiencies that they have discovered and delivered. Measuring impact takes time, understanding what needs to be done takes commitment, and following through with changes takes courage.
"Our farm team are passionate and persistent people, and this accreditation is proof of what they care about and are capable of. This five-year effort marks the start, not the end of our journey toward a better way of doing business.”
Just one example of the Farm’s respect for community and consideration for the environment is that the business now pledges 10% of their profits to invest in people and the community as well as projects that deliver less impact to the planet from an ecological perspective. The aim is to create a ripple effect of positivity that benefits, the team, community and environment.
The team will continue to discuss, measure and improve as they work through a continuity plan for the next generation on the farm.