Harris Woolf Almonds Earns B Corporation Certification
30 Years of Equity and Sustainability Work Receive Official Recognition
JANUARY 15, 2021, COALINGA, CA —Harris Woolf Almonds (HWA) has been community-focused since its founding, but the company’s new status as a Certified B Corporation makes its commitment to inclusive, equitable, and regenerative practices both formal and definitive. On December 4th, 2020, HWA passed B Labs’ rigorous B Impact Assessment, a comprehensive affirmation of the positive impact Harris Woolf Almonds has on its wide range of stakeholders, ranging from customers to employees to local community residents.
Since Harris Farms and Woolf Farming joined forces in 1989, the two families have prioritized relationships with growers who strive to maintain a sustainable, healthy ecosystem. Over 95% of HWA growers apply sophisticated water-saving technologies to minimize usage and waste. And its network of farms maintains the world’s largest captive acreage of Bee Better Certified almonds—which means fostering communities of wild bees and other helpful insects. Deliberate choices such as these help make Harris Woolf Almonds, its suppliers, its customers, its community, and its products an active part of a global movement to use business as a force for good.
Harris Woolf Almonds could only be more proud of its newly acquired B Corp status if it inspired others to join this culture shift in support of a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Any company that puts in the effort can attain B Corp status.
Shane Grant, Executive Vice President and CEO, Danone North America says, “At Danone North America we firmly believe that purpose and performance are interdependent. As such we are thrilled each time a company achieves B Corp certification and particularly proud when the company is one of our valued partners. We celebrate the willingness of Harris Woolf Almonds to further demonstrate its purpose by obtaining this powerful certification.”
Officially, B Corporation certification status is a conferred by the nonprofit organization, B Lab. Certified B Corps, such as Harris Woolf Almonds, prove and maintain a high standard of social and environmental performance. There are currently over 3,600 Certified B Corps including Danone, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, TOMS, Tillamook, and New Belgium Brewing. Each B Corp balances caring for its community and the world with making a profit for its shareholders. B Corps sign legal commitments to consider how each action and decision it makes affects the people and the environment within their sphere of operations.
“Only looking at the world in terms of profits is short-sighted,” says Harris Woolf Almonds Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Michael Briano. “We applied for B Corp certification because we wanted to ensure we were doing everything we could. We put our social and environmental impact, accountability, and transparency to the test—and we passed.”
Harris Woolf Almonds is an independent, vertically-integrated, grower-owned processor of almonds and value-added almond products. With 30 years of partnerships between our founding family farms, our grower base, and the world’s most recognized food & beverage companies, Harris Woolf Almonds is at the forefront of almond innovation and supply chain transparency. The versatility of Harris Woolf Almonds products continues to help build some of the world’s most recognized plant-based brands. Harris Woolf Almonds is a certified B Corp, and its products are Safe Quality Food Certified and USDA Organic. It is headquartered in Coalinga, California.
