For People, For Planet, For Profit: Baking a Change (King Arthur Baking Co.)
- Katrina Smith
- Jan 7
- 4 min read
B-Corp certification is a process that companies with a strong dedication to social governance can choose to undergo in order to express their dedication to a particular mission or cause.[1] In order to achieve B-Corp certification, a company must 1) “[d]emonstrate high social and environmental performance,” 2) “[m]ake a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders,” and 3) “[e]xhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available.”[2]
King Arthur Baking Company was one of the first seven companies to receive B-Corp certification back in May 2007.[3] They maintain a mission statement that reads: “From farms to kitchens, we’re on a mission to use the power of baking to restore nature and build a more equitable world.”[4] With an Overall-B Impact score of 116.4, King Arthur Baking Company is well above the threshold score of 80, soaring ahead of the ordinary business group, which holds a median Overall-B impact score of 50.9.[5] In order to maintain this score, King Arthur Baking Company measures their progress through a “triple bottom line—people, planet, profit.”[6]
For People
King Arthur Baking Company has been employee-owned since 2004.[7] According to the brand, “[e]mployee ownership fosters a deep connection to our work, creating a culture where everyone has a voice and a shared commitment to the company’s mission and values.”[8] B Lab purports that moving to an employee-owned structure is one of the ways in which “Certified B Corporations create purpose-driven companies that value their employees and use their sphere of influence to increase impact.”[9] In addition to supporting their own employees and stakeholders, King Arthur Baking Company has given back to communities across the world in numerous ways, including through their Sharing the Joy of Baking series in which employees teach others how to bake in order to “inspire and guide” them.[10]
For Planet
In addition to their dedication to serve their people, King Arthur Baking Company has dedicated themselves to doing what is best for the planet where they can.[11] One of the ways in which they support the planet is through regenerative agriculture. [12]Regenerative agriculture is methodology of farming that has many benefits for the planet, including prioritizing soil health, creating a resilient ecosystem, ensuring farmer wellbeing, fostering biodiversity, and sequestering carbon. [13] In addition to their implementation of regenerative agriculture, they have a commitment to use deforestation-free fibers and a minimum of 50% post-consumer recycled content by 2030.[14]
For Profit
Last, King Arthur Baking Company is a for-profit company. [15] According to a 2023 comment by the company’s VP of Operations, the company’s EBITA (earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization) has gone up year after year, indicating consistent company growth and the company’s desire to be profitable while also putting people first.[16] Further, at a visit to the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Ralph Carlton, King Arthur Baking Company Co-CEO and CFO, said that financial decisions are given “equal footing” with environmental, social, and employee welfare considerations when it comes to the company’s strategic planning.[17]
In the end, King Arthur Baking Company is a great example of the benefits a B-Corp certification can provide to a company and its stakeholders.[18] While pursuing what is both good for people and the planet, King Arthur Baking Company is able to maintain steady profits, proving that doing good really does pay off.
[1]See About B Corp Certification: Measuring a Company’s Entire Social and Environmental Impact, B Lab, https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/ (last updated Oct. 6, 2023).
[2] See id.
[3] Rossi Anastopoulo, What Is a B Corp? And Why Do They Matter?, King Arthur Baking Co. (June 24, 2025), https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2025/06/24/what-is-a-b-corp (“King Arthur was one of the first companies to ever undergo certification, alongside just six other companies, back in May 2007. Now, there are over 9,000 B Corps across 90 countries!”).
[4] Why We’re Committed to Environmental Stewardship, King Arthur Baking Co. (April 22, 2021), https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2021/04/22/why-were-committed-to-environmental-stewardship.
[5] King Arthur Baking Company, B Lab, https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/king-arthur-baking-company/ (last visited Nov. 16, 2025).
[6] King Arthur Baking Co., Impact Report 7 (2024), https://catalog.kingarthurbaking.com/kab_2024_impactreport/.
[7] Id at 10–11.
[8] Id.
[9] How B Corps Can Build on Success with Employee Ownership, B Lab (March 12, 2024), https://usca.bcorporation.net/zbtcz03z24bcm24zhow-b-corps-can-build-on-success-with-employee-ownership/.
[10] Impact Report, supra note 6, at 11.
[11] See id. at 28–29.
[12] Id. at 28.
[13] Id. at 28–30.
[14] Id. at 28.
[15] See generally id. at 11 (describing the employee ownership structure at King Arthur Baking Company).
[16] Daniel Butcher, People, Planet and Profit at King Arthur Baking Company (March 1, 2023), https://www.sfmagazine.com/articles/2023/march/people-planet-and-profit-at-king-arthur-baking-company.
[17] U. Va. Darden Sch. Bus., King Arthur Flour CEO Shares B Corp Story with Virginia MBA Students, New Hope Network (Feb. 19, 2019), https://www.newhope.com/industry-insights/king-arthur-flour-ceo-shares-b-corp-story-with-virginia-mba-students.
[18] See generally Butcher, supra note 16.