our responsibility to our people & our planet 2010 CSR REPORT
ben&jerry’s
everybody loves ben & jerry’s ice cream
We believe in supporting small-scale family farming Back in ’66, in a school gym class, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield found they hated running but loved food. Years later in ‘78, Ben had been fired from a series of McJobs while Jerry had failed for the second time to get into medical school. So, since eating was their great passion, armed with a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making, they opened their first scoop shop in a dilapidated gas station in Burlington, Vermont. They soon became popular in the local community for the finest all natural ice cream made from fresh Vermont milk and cream. Ben had no sense of taste so he relied on what he called ‘mouth feel’, so big chunks of chocolate, fruit and nut became their signature. While they disagreed at times over the chunk size, they did agree that they wanted to enjoy themselves — as Jerry put it ‘if it’s not fun, why do it?’. In the early days the boys were pretty bad at book-keeping. After two months they closed the store and hung a sign that said ‘we’re closed to figure out whether we’re making any money’. And they weren’t. But they learned a lot and by 1979, began wholesaling pints of ice cream out of Ben’s VW campervan. The rest, as they say, is history. B&J_CSR REPORT
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eggs-tactic about our eggs! animal welfare is important to us Ben & Jerry’s making a total transition to egg suppliers who use “Certified-Humane,” cage-free methods to raise their egg-laying hens. We’re well on the way to sourcing eggs for our ice cream that come from hens on Certified Humane cage-free farms. When our four-year transition is complete, all of our eggs will come from hens guaranteed to have wholesome food, access to clean water, and adequate space for normal behavior. We believe this transition will make our egg supply the envy of the food industry — and make us the darling of ethical consumers and chickens everywhere. During the 4-year transition, which started in 2007, we’ll be absorbing the additional cost of cage-free eggs and give the industry a chance to expand enough to meet our entire demand. And then, by 2010, all our eggs will be sourced entirely from Certified Humane cage-free. We think that’s more than good. It’s Egg-cellent!
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WE ARE REDUCING THE environmental impacts of our packaging The packaging used in Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops includes a wide variety of cold drink cups and various ice cream bowl sizes as well as spoons, straws, napkins and lids. Where we have been able to make substitutions for more environmentally sound choices, we’ve made the changes. Long ago we made that change with our paper napkins made from 100% unbleached, recycled content. The current multitude of changes in sustainable packaging research has required us to step back and evaluate the broader options for our scoop shops. We intend to make changes that reflect the needs of the business balanced against the best environmental options.
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lovingly made and fair trade which is at the heart of our values
WE SELL THE FINEST QUALITY ALL NATURAL ICE CREAM Back in ’66, in a school gym class, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield found they hated running but loved food. Years later in ‘78, Ben had been fired from a series of McJobs while Jerry had failed for the second time to get into medical school. So, since eating was their great passion, armed with a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making, they opened their first scoop shop in a dilapidated gas station in Burlington, Vermont. They soon became popular in the local community for the finest all natural ice cream made from fresh Vermont milk and cream. Ben had no sense of taste so he relied on what he called ‘mouth feel’, so big chunks of chocolate, fruit and nut became their signature. While they disagreed at times over the chunk size, they did agree that they wanted to enjoy themselves – as Jerry put it ‘if it’s not fun, why do it?’. In the early days the boys were pretty bad at book-keeping. After two months they closed the store and hung a sign that said ‘we’re closed to figure out whether we’re making any money’. And they weren’t. But they learned a lot and by 1979, began wholesaling pints of ice cream out of Ben’s VW campervan. The rest, as they say, is history. B&J_CSR REPORT
we HAVE respect for individuals and communities
we are DOING OUR PART BY MAKING AN EFFORT TO reduce waste
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we are lifting the lid on cloning!
April Fools! Ben & Jerry’s launched a fictitious dairy company called “Cyclone Dairy” — selling milk made from 100% cloned cows in March 2009. CyClone Dairy isn’t real, but it could be! Did you know that in January 2008, the U.S Food and Drug Administration declared milk and meat from cloned animals safe for human consumption, allowing cloned food products to enter the U.S. food supply? We believe you should have the right to choose which foods you eat — and not to eat cloned foods if you don’t want to. And that’s why Ben & Jerry’s believes we need a national clone tracking system, so people and companies can know where their food is coming from.
Our mission consists of three parts For 30 years, Ben & Jerry’s has been dedicated to a sustainable corporate concept of linked prosperity. Our mission consists of three interrelated parts. Central to the mission of Ben & Jerry’s is the belief that all three parts must thrive equally in a manner that commands deep respect for individuals in and outside the company and supports the communities of which they are a part. Product Mission: To make, distribute and sell the finest quality all natural ice cream and euphoric concoctions with a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome, natural ingredients and promoting business practices that respect the Environment. Economic Mission: To operate the Company on a sustainable financial basis of profitable growth, increasing value for our stakeholders and expanding opportunities for development and career growth for our employees. Social Mission: To operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally and internationally.
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a letter from our ceo In 2008, we celebrated our thirtieth birthday at Ben & Jerry’s. As part of the celebration, we put together an online scrapbook that captures some of the memorable moments in the company’s past. Scattered throughout are mentions of the company’s Social Mission partnerships and initiatives. As I flipped through the pages, it struck me how varied our Company’s activities and partnerships have been over three decades. We’ve opposed rBGH, the artificial hormone given to cows; we’ve championed government funding for children’s health care and education; we’ve opposed the U.S. entry into the first Gulf War. Walt Freeze, Chief Euphoria Officer. We’ve been a pioneer in managing our environmental impacts,from using unbleached paperboard in our pint packaging to using composing, methane digesters, and even pigs to handle our wastes. We’ve sought out unique suppliers who have a social mission that aligns with ours, such as Greyston Bakery and Fair Trade cooperatives. We’ve also played a key role in founding socially responsible business networks, such as Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility; 1% for Peace; Business for Social Responsibility; and the Social Venture Network.
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It’s not an accident that we’ve been involved in so many different issues with so many different partners and allies. We have always tried to take a holistic approach to living out our Company’s Social Mission, believing that in the end, all things are indeed connected. So, we know that buying some of our ingredients from small farmers also has environmental benefits; supporting diversity in our workplace actually leads to a stronger team and financial success; and there are many more examples throughout our business. But we also admit that sometimes we have stretched ourselves too thin. And today as we embrace our new identity as a global Company, we recognize that we must become more focused and strategic in order to achieve our Social Mission. This is the insight that led us to convene our first-ever global Social Mission Summit in October of 2008 when Company leaders responsible for all parts of our business met and identified global priorities. We believe that these long-term goals are in line with our history and core values – and are also relevant to the Company we are today:
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First, we use our Company to further the cause of Peace and Justice. Second, harmonize our global supply chain and ensure its alignment with our Company values. Lastly, take the lead promoting global sustainable dairy practices. I am invigorated by the goals we’ve set for ourselves. We’ve always believed that our Mission Statement is both a statement about how our business should operate – and a recipe for success that says simply, the way our Company will succeed financially is through long-term investment in making great ice cream and in making a positive social impact. Most of all, I offer my thanks to the people of Ben & Jerry’s, past and present, who have given so much of themselves to keep us moving forward on this inspired mission. Peace, Love & Ice Cream
Walt Freese Walt Freese
Chief Euphoria Officer
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WE ARE leading the way to A more sustainable environment
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WE CREATE AS little waste as we can More than 80 percent of Ben & Jerry’s production in North America happens in two Vermont plants in St. Albans and Waterbury. These plants continue to work towards reducing solid waste and improving their recycling rate. The creation of waste is an inevitable byproduct of any agricultural and/or business operation. For years Ben & Jerry’s has made it our business to not only generate as little waste as we can, but — when possible — to set goals for yearly reductions in the amount of waste produced. What follows is relevant waste data from 2008. Product waste (also known as high-strength dairy waste or HSDW) is a byproduct of the manufacturing process. Due to its concentrated strength, HSDW cannot simply go down the drain to a treatment facility, and must be managed carefully. We have focused for many years on improving the way we manage this waste stream, and have arrived at a novel solution. Rather than pay for a vendor to manage the waste, we now ship a large majority of it to two methane digesters located on local dairy farms. These digesters not only accept the waste, but also generate energy as a by-product: a win-win for both farmers and Ben and Jerry’s.
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Vermont Plants - Percentage of Recycled
2007/ 62%
2008/ 61%
2009/ 63%
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WE make yearly donations based on a formula related to total sales B&J_CSR REPORT
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our Company is acting on our Social Mission around the world Finland
Hong Kong
Free Cone Day — At no less than Free Cone Day in Francefifty
Free Cone Day was held on September
sampling points nationwide, we served 90,000 free scoops on Free
23rd and some 2,496 scoops were given
Cone Day 2008, thanks in large part to the more than 130 employees
away. The day was marked by a number
from Unilever France who helped us out. This year, music was
of charity fundraisers with the help of our
almost as important a part of the April festivities as the treats; we
partner, the Crossroads Foundation. In
created a special mix and a frozen music label and made the music
all, we raised HK$29,355 for a number of
tracks available for free download. A live show was held at the fa-
local charities. The figures are all the more
mous Parisian nightclub La Scala in the evening, featuring the spins
amazing because the city was actually hit
of legendary Paris DJ Beatrice Ardisson. Special donations in the
by a typhoon that same day, which caused
amount of €1,200 were collected at the show to help support the work
events to shut down early.
of French Climate Change College Ambassador Marie-Laure Geai.
Italy Climate Change College — Marie-Laure Geai, CCC Ambassador for France, acted on her belief that snowboarders and the resorts they
Ben & Jerry’s opened our first scoop shop
enjoy must go green. To that end, she launched her own program
in Italy on March 18th in the UCI Cinemas
to dispense eco-advice and to bring the snowboarding community
of Lissone (near Milan).
together under a common cause. Part of her program included developing a pamphlet and a series of lectures in the resort-rich Chamonix Valley promoting sustainable water and energy management in hostels. B&J_CSR REPORT
Germany
Greece
Our Free Cone Day, held at scoop shops in
Climate Change College — Cara Augustenborg, CCC Ambassador
Cologne and Berlin, was a huge success,
for Ireland, developed the site www.GreenDIY.ie to help Irish con-
with 3,000 scoops given away and nearly
sumers find information about sustainable materials and methods
€1,000 raised for a number of local NGOs.
to use in do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. The site was featured as the
In Berlin, DJ Motte (the founder of Berlin’s
Irish Times Eco Website of the week, and has received lots of other
Love Parade festival), brought music to
positive publicity both in Ireland and abroad, attracting readers
the masses in front of the scoop shop, and
from 69 countries! One associated program of the site is The Green
helped celebrate a special “Free Cone
DIY Learning House, which featured more than 25 products and
Love Parade Day!”
ten tips to inspire people to begin ‘Green DIY’ projects in their own homes. The House was displayed outside a major shopping center
Ireland
in Ireland in September, and prompted more than 85 people to sign a pledge to do a specific ‘Green DIY’ activity in their homes.
Nearly 4,000 cones were served up at our eight scoop shops on Free Cone Day.
Mexico
We developed a free single-serve “Shorty Voucher,” available online, and got 1,000
No fewer than 60,000 cones were given away on Free Cone Day, and
downloads! The day was also marked by our
4,000 pints were donated to a food bank charity. At a special event
efforts to raise money for Fairtrade Ireland,
Christmas party, 280 cones were given away at a local orphanage.
which unofficially netted some €1,000 Euros, five times more than last year!. _pg31
Netherlands
Spain
In 2008, we tested a pilot ‘open factory’ tour in our Hellendoorn
Free Cone Day posterOn Free Cone Day
plant, where Ben & Jerry’s is made in Europe, inspired by the
2008, 91,000 scoops were given away,
success of the Waterbury Factory Tour in Vermont, which just
including 66,000 single-serve ‘Shorties.’ In
happens to be the biggest tourist attraction in that state. We set an
conjunction with Free Cone Day, we (along
initial target for 3,000 consumers to visit and view the factory, and
with partners Accion Natura and Fundacion
we reached the goal in September. Netherlands Peace in the Park
Prosegur) held a fundraiser entitled Apad-
EventWhile the program demonstrated great employee enthusiasm
rina un Árbol to raise money for reforesta-
for the brand, we think we can improve the experience further, so
tion work, which netted some €1,500.
we decided not to move to a full-scale open factory at this point. An expanded tour experience is now being developed to coincide with
Climate Change College — Inés Reverter, CCC
Hellendoorn becoming a 100% Ben & Jerry’s Factory in 2012.
Ambassador for Spain, worked to address water shortages through a restaurant partnership
Climate Change College — Aart van Veller, CCC Ambassador for
that combines the installation of water saving
the Netherlands, is currently completing his university studies while
equipment and consumer-facing communica-
managing his own business called We Are Cool. Committed to
tion in a chain of restaurants in the city.
inspiring businesses to reduce their energy consumption and pollution impacts, We Are Cool (www.wijzijnkoel.nl ) supplies specific techniques to accomplish those goals. Aart’s biggest current client is MTV in the Netherlands, and while he’s been greening their business practices, they’ve documented his business journey on-air. B&J_CSR REPORT
Portugal
Turkey
Lisbon for the Climate Initiative — We par-
Opening of Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop in Turkey New Scoop Shop
ticipated in this multi-tiered effort for Earth
Rollouts — we opened our second, third, and fourth Ben & Jerry’s
Day to help the citizens of Lisbon make their
Scoop Shops in Turkey, in a trendy cinema, a premium shopping
city an example of sustainability and environ-
mall, and on one of Istanbul’s busiest streets, respectively. We also
mental respect and draw attention to climate
ran a launch competition wherein our consumers sent us their wishes
change. We brought costumed polar bears
for a better world 2008. Not surprisingly, happiness, a cleaner envi-
along to help with street marketing and did
ronment, and peace were among the most popular wishes.
concentrated outreach to local universities to collect nearly 10,000 signatures on a petition to city leaders to move swiftly in response to
Gediz Delta Campaign — Scoop Shop interiorWith the motto, “The
climate change.
only thing we cannot freeze is time,” we partnered with The Doga Foundation to lend our weight to efforts to protect the Gediz Delta,
Climate Change College — Filipe Miguel
an important wetland area in Turkey that is home to ten percent
Moreira Alves, CCC Ambassador for Portugal,
of the world’s flamingos and hundreds of other bird species. We
Filipe piloted Lisbon’s first cooking oil recycling
sponsored a press launch and offered other financial support to
service in 2008, turning this waste product
raise awareness of this important issue.
into second-generation bio-diesel for use in municipal garbage vehicles. Filipe’s NGO expects to achieve a monthly reduction of seven tons of CO2 emissions. _pg33
BEN & JERRY’S HOMEMADE INC.
History – Then and Now In everything we do, the Ben & Jerry's Foundation strives to apply our mission and values, including with our investment policies and our relationships with employees. Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. was founded on a belief in “linked prosperity”. It meant that as the company grew and prospered the benefits would go not just to shareholders but also to employees and the community. In 1985 the company undertook a public stock offering to support its ongoing growth. The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation was created at the same time, with an initial gift from Ben of 50,000 shares and an unprecedented decision of the company’s Board of Directors to commit 7 ½% of the company’s annual pretax profits to philanthropy. When the Foundation was started, it was with a belief that the company and the Foundation were distinct. The company’s role was to generate profits that the Foundation gave away. In 1991 the Foundation and company staff held a retreat with experts in social change work and philanthropy to think about the Foundation’s strategies and effectiveness. The message from the retreat was that B&J_CSR REPORT
a real opportunity was being missed by not involving employees in the Foundation’s work. What better way to communicate the company’s progressive values than by empowering employees to participate in decision-making? This led to a complete redesign of the grantmaking process to include employees directly in grants decisions. Through the creation of Community Action Teams at each site and employee members on the Employee Advisory Committee, decision-making was placed in employees’ hands. In 2000 the company was acquired by Unilever, a global company with over 400 brands (www.unilever.com). Unilever continues to support the Foundation through an annual grant that takes into account Ben & Jerry’s ice cream sales. The Foundation is deeply grateful to Unilever for this ongoing support. The history of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation has been and continues to be one of steadfast dedication to involving employees, giving back to Vermont communities and supporting progressive social justice work. _pg35
STAFF Rebecca Golden :: Director of Programs
of her local school board and school garden
Becca has been with the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation since 1992 and
committee in the Lake Champlain Islands of
has served as Director since 1994 when she guided the Founda-
Vermont, where she gardens, sails and lives
tion’s transition to employee-led grantmaking programs. Becca
as simply as she can with her husband, two
enjoys cross-country skiing, hiking, dancing, gardening, and
young kids and teenage stepson.
cooking and is passionate about the interconnectedness of food systems and social justice. She is the mother of two young children
Debby Kessler :: Administrative Assistant
and loves spending time with her family and friends in her small
Debby has been the Administrative Assis-
Vermont village, where she founded and chairs the school garden
tant to the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation since
committee and serves as Chair of the local school board. She also
1999, a position she finds very gratifying.
serves on the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Agriculture
She is inspired by the opportunity to work
and Food Systems Funders, a national funders’ affinity group.
with organizations trying to address the root causes of societal and environmental
Lisa Pendolino :: Managing Director
problems. Debby and her husband have
Lisa has worked for the Foundation since 1999 and often tells
a large family that now includes three
people that she has one of the best jobs in corporate America. Lisa
grandchildren. Twenty-five years ago, after
loves her job and thrives on the hope that is embodied in every
one of their children was diagnosed with
grant request and is at the core of the mission of the Foundation.
cancer, she and her husband Ted founded
Foundation travels have taken her to Cuba and the World Social
Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, (www.takumta.org) to
Forums in Brazil and Venezuela, and showed her grassroots advo-
bring all the fun activities of summer camp
cacy and organizing from a different perspective. She is a member
to children being treated for cancer.
CONTACT Event Support (Sponsorship/Donation) Information: 802-846-1543 EXT. 7986 Ben & Jerry’s Foundation inquiries: 802-846-1543 EXT. 7485 Franchise inquiries: 802-846-1543 EXT. 7831 International expansion inquiries: 802-846-1543 EXT. 7419 Current Job Listings: 802-846-1543 EXT. 7584 Waterbury Factory Tours Info: 802-882-1240 or toll free (866) BJ-TOURS Mailing Address: Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., 30 Community Drive, South Burlington, VT 05403-6828 Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Inc. 30 Community Drive South Burlington, VT 05403
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