Client Stories

BOSKA

BOSKA makes food tools for life and believes that quality goes hand in hand with sustainability

A fourth generation, family-owned business, BOSKA was founded 126 years ago.

The company was drawn to B Corp as a seal of approval, demonstrating what they stand for, motivating the team and challenging them to be better.

B Corp
ESG Strategy

Key Information

Service
B Corp + ESG Strategy

Industry
Retail

Size
50+ Employees

Challenge

Challenge

To demonstrate their sustainability agenda to consumers

For BOSKA, becoming a B Corp is an enduring and transparent way to improve as a company, but it is just the beginning. The team works hard every day to improve and make positive, lasting changes, prioritising people, the environment and society.

BOSKA needed support understanding the B Corp Assessment tool (used to certify as a B Corp) and what it would take to not only certify but improve their impact across different areas of sustainability. Initially, BOSKA found completing the assessment intense and time-consuming but necessary. They also had constraints on internal capacity so needed help.

Approach

“Once we’d got a grasp on the material issues, it was only then that we started to appreciate how comprehensive the assessment is and how encompassing and rich the questions are.”

Cedric van de Geer
BOSKA Impact Lead

Approach

Using the B Corp Assessment to create an improvement strategy

As a first step BOSKA calculated its baseline score, which is an estimate of their score on the B Corp Assessment. This provided a framework to create an improvement strategy. After taking into consideration key business factors, Seismic created a strategic plan that detailed suggested improvements to business practices, which would also lead to additional points. At Seismic, we offer expert B Corp advice, supporting businesses to create an ESG roadmap to accelerate your impact.

All BOSKA’s questions on the B Corp Assessment were answered and they received the support needed to begin implementing improvements.

BOSKA’s B Corp Improvement Plan

BOSKA was able to process major improvements across the business using the B Corp framework:

engagement and analysis of its supply chain,
formalising its HR policies,
getting comfortable with a diversity and inclusion survey (with anonymity, despite a small workforce),
improving its environmental performance:
- honing its Environmental Management System,
- measuring its carbon emissions, across scopes 1, 2 and 3.

In this way, BOSKA uses the B Corp Assessment tool to measure improvement over time.

Impact

“The environmental part of the B Corp assessment helped us to set up frameworks to improve, for example, our code of conduct has expanded to include more areas, like waste. We’ve also talked to suppliers to involve them in our mission and improve our products.”

Cedric van de Geer
BOSKA Impact Lead

Impact

A more engaged team, committed to leading the change

BOSKA’s initial B Corp score was estimated to be 48 points (the average for non-B Corps is 50). By following the plan of suggested improvements, BOSKA was able to increase their estimated score to 92 points – a huge leap that surpassed the 80 points needed to certify. They submitted their assessment and successfully gained B Corp certification in December 2022.

Working with Seismic, the BOSKA team became more engaged, embracing the project and bringing it to life. Reinvigorated, the team enjoyed embedding sustainability best practice into all facets of the business, for example, through establishing strategic community partnerships.

Believing in its power to bring positive change, BOSKA has become a cheerleader for the B Corp movement. The ‘Chief Cheese Officer’ now shouts about BOSKA’s journey to B Corp and the team wants to inspire others to join too. In fact, BOSKA organised a successful B Corp trek for entrepreneurs in the Netherlands, engaging 20 local companies, with another 45 across the world taking part virtually.