Stonyfield Farm Named To Ethisphere’s 2011 “World’s Most Ethical Companies"
Stonyfield Contact:
Sarah Badger
(603) 437-4040
sbadger@stonyfield.com
Or
Ethisphere Contact:
Emily Parker
(212) 446-1889
eparker@sloanepr.com
STONYFIELD FARM NAMED TO ETHISPHERE’S 2011 “WORLD’S MOST ETHICAL COMPANIES"
For the Fourth Year, Stonyfield Recognized for Exceptional Ethical Leadership
Londonderry, NH – April 2011 – Stonyfield Farm, the world’s leading organic yogurt maker, has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies. Out of a record number of nominations for the award, Stonyfield secured a hard-earned spot on the list by going the extra mile and implementing upright business practices and initiatives that are instrumental to the company’s success, benefit the community, and raise the bar for ethical standards within the industry.
“Stonyfield’s missions are based on environmental and corporate social responsibility, and being named to Ethisphere’s 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies list is a testament to the core values we strive to incorporate in everything we do," said Stonyfield President and CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg. “We are honored to be named with this distinction for the fourth year, and we remain committed to being a leader in our industry by sharing an unwavering dedication to the highest ethical standards.”
This is the fifth year Ethisphere, a think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, has published the WME rankings, which appear in Ethisphere Magazine’s Q1 issue.
Ethisphere reviewed thousands of companies and evaluated a record number of applications utilizing its propriety methodology through in-depth research and multi-step analysis, naming 110 companies that surpassed their industry peers to this year's World's Most Ethical Companies list. The 2011 list features companies in 38 industries including 43 companies headquartered outside the United States.
Stonyfield is listed with other highly reputable companies also dedicated to corporate social responsibility and sustainability, including Timberland, Whole Foods, Patagonia and Wegmans.
“As companies strive to maintain a competitive advantage, good ethics translate into better business, and better business means better bottom lines. Stonyfield recognizes the important role that principled practices play in brand reputation, which ultimately is the most valuable asset for a corporation,” said Alex Brigham, Executive Director of the Ethisphere Institute. “Each year, the competition gets more intense for the World’s Most Ethical Companies and this year was no exception with a record number of organizations vying for this distinguished honor. Ethisphere congratulates Stonyfield on being one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2011.”
The methodology for the WME ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.
Read about the methodology and view the complete list of the 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies at http://ethisphere.com/worlds-most-ethical-companies-rankings/.
About Stonyfield Farm
Stonyfield Farm, celebrating its 28th year, is the world's leading organic yogurt company. Its certified organic yogurt, smoothies, milk, cultured soy, frozen yogurt and ice cream are distributed nationally. The company advocates that healthy food can only come from a healthy planet. Its use of organic ingredients helps keep over 180,000 farm acres free of toxic, persistent pesticides and chemical fertilizers known to contaminate soil, drinking water and food. To help reduce climate change, Stonyfield offsets all of the C02 emissions generated from its facility energy use. The company also started a nonprofit called Climate Counts (climatecounts.org) which shows people how they can help fight climate change by the way they shop and invest. Stonyfield also donates 10% of its profits to efforts that help protect and restore the Earth. For more information about Stonyfield Farm, its products and initiatives, visit www.stonyfield.com.
About Ethisphere Institute
The research-based Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. The Institute’s associated membership groups, the Ethisphere Council and Business Ethics Leadership Alliance, are forums for business ethics that includes over 200 leading corporations, universities and institutions. These groups are dedicated to the development and advancement of members through increased efficiency, innovation, tools, mentoring, advice, and unique career opportunities. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures, Ethics Inside Certification®, Anti-Corruption Leader Verification and Compliance Program Verification. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.
