Ben & Jerry's Corporate Social Responsibility

Ben and jerry’s use CSR to achieve more desired goals to increase the growth of their business and also help them maintain open line communication with employees. this would effectively gain a better outcome from employees and make the company more reputable. 

Corporate social responsibility basically means that a company has to behave in a socially responsible manner. these companies would deal or work with other businesses who behave in the same or in a similar manner.

The public awareness and demand for socially responsible businesses is increasing drastically. companies in this day and age would take CSR into consideration when making any future business desicions. 

Usage of Fair Trade ingredients has been adopted by a large amount of socially responsible businesses in previous years. Fair Trade products such as fair fair trade chocolate which is commonly used by Ben & Jerry's are meant to resolve the workplace and factory conditions in foreign countries in which the cocoa plants are grown. The rules and regulations of these companies that pick the plants are different from the rules and regulations put into action in countries such as America and the United Kingdom. These issues are usually that of companies that produce goods and services in foreign countries and export their products into countries that produce the food. Fair Trade standards ensure that employees have good and safe working conditions, work reasonable hours and are paid a fair amount for their work. Ben & Jerry's began using Fair Trade Certified ingredients in 2005 and announced a plan that they were to make all of their ingrediants fair trade by the year 2013.

Another method to be corporate social responsible is through community-based development projects. Community-based development projects have become an important form of development assistance among global socially responsible companies such as Ben & Jerry's. The Vermont Dairy Farm Sustainability Project was launched by Ben & Jerry’s in 1999. this project was set out to develop practical methods that could be used on typical dairy operations in the farm to prevent nitrogen and phosphorus run-off ensuring water quality stays high in nearby lakes and Rivers.

Ben & Jerry’s also donate a portion of its pre-tax profits to good causes as part of its efforts to be more socially responsible. Corporate philanthropy is employee-led through the Ben & Jerry's Foundation and Community Action Teams (CATS) at each site. Ben and Jerry’s also have a philanthropy called “The Foundation” which is employee-led by employee advisory groups who take proposals into consideration and recommend grants to good causes. They award $1.8 million across 5 grants annually to eligible organizations in America and around Vermont. These awards.grants are called:

-The grassroots organizing for social change program

-The national building grant program

-The Vermont Capacity Builiding Grant Program

-Vermont Economic Justice Grant Program

-The Vermont community action teams grant program

-The employee Matching Gift Program.