The trend towards mission-driven business: why FLOCERT is a Social Enterprise

It’s a time of year when many of us take time to celebrate what’s really important. With our families, in our communities, and maybe in the work we do too.

For us at FLOCERT, our social mission has been there from the beginning. From our roots in Fairtrade, to finding new ways to improve sustainability across supply chains, we have always been driven by the idea that global trade can be a force for good.

Businesses that pursue positive social impact are now springing up all over the world. They are part of an economic movement that sees the opportunity for businesses large and small to address poverty, inequality and environmental problems. The most recent Global Entrepreneurship Monitor on social business shows that the social enterprise movement is truly worldwide, and that results matter to those involved. More than half of the social entrepreneurs interviewed across 58 economies reported that they put substantial effort into measuring the social and environmental impact of their activities.

It is a thriving, diverse community that we’re proud to be part of. FLOCERT gained its official accreditation as a Social Enterprise in 2015, a status that has just been renewed.

What does our identity as a Social Enterprise mean? It means a few things.

For one, it reflects the fact that while we operate within the commercial market, our goal is to create value for our customers, by investing into the systems and structures needed to offer the best service.

And it reflects what we do with the profits we make. We are owned by the charity Fairtrade International, so our customers can be confident that all the money we make goes back into addressing the social mission that inspired our existence: to connect disadvantaged producers with consumers and combat poverty.

We believe it’s good for all of us who are involved in creating fair global trade. That’s something worth celebrating.