Ben & Jerry's ice cream: Environmental policy report

Résumé du document

Hailing from a single store in Vermont, created by two men making ice-cream, Ben & Jerry's has rapidly become a truly global company, employing 514 people in the US alone, and operating 550 small ‘Scoop Shops' spread across the US and 23 other countries across the world. By their own admission, Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream Inc. see themselves as a “values led business”, rather than by financial and business circumstances. The company aims to do more than just maximize profits as a business; and focuses “to make the world a better place”. (www.benandjerrys.co.uk). Ben & Jerry's would have the consumer believe that as a socially and ecologically responsible firm, its ‘duty' is to respect the environment in which it resides and trades. This environmental report aims to discuss, analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of Ben and Jerry's sustainable practices. Also, the report will consider whether the company achieves its own directive of enhancing the world through socially responsible conduct.

Extraits

[...] It can also be argued whether Ben & Jerry's are simply attempting to stay aligned with their competitors in terms of social responsibility. For example, Haagen Dazs operate a ‘save the honeybee' programme, claiming that the rapid deterioration in their numbers could effect up to 40% of the food we eat. Ben & Jerry's from a business perspective must therefore strive to compete with initiatives such as this in order to remain a competitive force within their marketplace. Haagen Dazs have however experienced poor press, similarly to Ben & Jerry's. [...]

[...] Atlanta: Sep 2001. Vol Issue. 10; pg pgs Gunther, M. (2007) “Green is Good” Fortune. New York: Apr Vol Issue. pg Laabs, J.L (1996), & Jerry's caring capitalism” [Online] Available from www.hrhq.com/members/archive/2431.html accessed 10/03/08 Left, S. (2005) it's Melted, it's Ruined” [Online] Available from www.guardian.co.uk accessed 23/03/08 Miller, A. (1995), “Sundae school”, Inc., Vol December p Mintzberg, H. (1987) Crafting Strategy, Harvard Business Review, Mintzberg, H. [...]

[...] Ben and Jerry's state that in recent years, recycling rates “increased several percentage points to (www.benandjerrys.co.uk). The company claims further on its website, that it has continually held a greater than 50% recycling rate for its total waste stream and that the increase to over reflects the emphasis on the management of solid waste. Ben & Jerry's also work closely with waste disposal organisations, for example their partnership with the Covanta Energy facility in the U.S. This co- operation has resulted in a net reduction of waste to 36% below the 2005- 2006 levels to 399 tons. [...]

[...] These companies are not international company suppliers, as the company does not consider them to be financially viable when exported overseas. Despite the somewhat negative aspects to the regional supplying policies, Ben and Jerry's do not endorse any genetically modified milk producing stimulants (such as RBGH) for their cattle in the U.S claiming the added hormone affects nutritional content. In fact, as Denis et al. (1998) state, Ben & Jerry's actually paid a $345,0000 premium for non RBGH milk. These GM additives are currently illegal in Europe so in this respect the company has achieved some aspects of international consistency. [...]

[...] Ben and Jerry's are able to utilise their historical trading agreements with smaller suppliers to influence their trading practices and values. It can be therefore argued that the company's policy is not universally transferrable, and is consequently limited in its effectiveness. Since the company's penetration into the European market, difficulties have arisen in sourcing suppliers with similar existing values to Ben and Jerry's. As a reaction to this problem, the company has developed regional initiatives such as their ‘climate change college' and their ‘caring dairy' projects. [...]