B Corp—going beyond the logo

November 09, 2022

By Felix Borenstein

Learning that we’d attained B Corp accreditation eight months ago was one of the proudest moments of my career.

Becoming a B Corporation isn’t for the faint of heart. I won’t say the process came close to breaking me but there are less than 6,000 B Corporations worldwide. That says something.

Going beyond the certification logo

Getting the accreditation is one thing; giving it meaning is another. I wanted Owen River Lodge to have B Corp accreditation not just because it’s another unique selling point (we were the first fishing lodge in the world and first accommodation provider in New Zealand or Australia to get it) but because of how it’s assessed.

We were audited across five areas: workers, customers, governance, environment and community. It’s a stringent process—the gold standard in measuring corporate social responsibility.

I figure if we’re going to be a B Corp, we should aim to be the best B Corp in the world. We should continuously refine, improve, and go beyond what was needed for certification. So here are the ways we’re taking our B Corp accreditation even further:

1. Working with other B Corps

• Karma Cola—this Kiwi-owned beverage manufacturer uses organic and fair trade ingredients. A percentage of revenue from every drink sold supports kola nut growers and their families in Sierra Leone.

• Chia Sisters—also in the beverage business, they make natural juices at their solar-powered, zero carbon juicery down the road in Nelson.

2. Supporting Māori-owned businesses

• Kono—a family-owned Māori food and beverage producer creating award-winning wines and craft beers under a variety of brands.

3. Keeping it local and/or organic

• Tasman Bay Food Co—this Nelson food producer provides us with certified organic fruit bars under the brand name, Zesti.

• Oaklands Milk—a family-owned farm in the Nelson region that’s been operating since 1842. Oaklands supply their milk in glass bottles that they take back, sterilise and re-use.

• ViaVio Cheese—producers of traditional Italian cheeses. Owners Flavio and Flavia live in Nelson and collaborate with Oaklands Milk to supply them with local A2-tested cows’ milk for their product.

• Neudorf Wines – A New Zealand success story. Fabulous wines, certified organic and part of the Nelson /Tasman community of artesian producers

• Milmore Downs—certified organic wheat grown in central Canterbury, just a couple of hours down the road.

• Will & Able - The only range of NZ made, eco-friendly cleaning products, packaged in 100% recycled plastic bottles, and filled & packed by people with disabilities.Will & Able is an organisation that provides over 200 jobs for people with mental and physical disabilities.

We want to live and breathe our B Corp certification, not just flash around the marketing collateral. By looking for ways to support other businesses who are doing amazing things, reduce our carbon footprint, and go above and beyond, we can try to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people …

And that includes you, our guests. So you know that when you come to stay & fish with us, you’ll have the benefit of the very best that we, and all these amazing Kiwi suppliers, can offer.

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