National Co-op Grocers Joins Inclusion Challenge

National Co-op Grocers (NCG), a business service cooperative for retail food co-ops in the United States, will participate in the B Corp Inclusion Challenge.

Developed by B Lab, the Wayne, Pa.-based nonprofit organization that certifies B Corps and serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good, the B Corp Inclusion Challenge invites C Corp companies to set goals and improve on three or more of the inclusive economy metrics measured as part of the B Corp certification process. These metrics aim to help companies foster a more inclusive economy by creating opportunity for all, reducing inequality, and improving performance on inclusion and diversity.

Iowa City, Iowa-based NCG, which received its B Corp certification in 2012, will focus on three metrics from its B Impact Assessment: ensure all NCG staff wages are at least 60 percent above the local livable wage; raise awareness of systemic bias, inclusion and diversity issues by sharing resources with staff; and encourage diversity among its board of directors by supporting inclusion of board members who are women or individuals from underrepresented populations.

“NCG values diversity and enthusiastically joins our fellow B Corps in leading the way towards a more inclusive economy,” said Robynn Shrader, NCG’s CEO. “Our B Corp certification, coupled with the seven cooperative principles, provide NCG with a rigorous framework for ethical business, and this year’s B Corp Inclusion Challenge offers a welcome opportunity to deepen our already strong commitment to diversity and equality within the workplace.”