In this article, Karla Cook, Certification Manager for Equitable Food Initiative, defines what a “socially responsible business” is. Cook suggests to look at social responsibility from a business perspective which includes legal and economic employment practices. The business must be responsible for the environmental impact that the product or service has or will have and elaborate on this vision to include it in the messaging to be shared with clients and consumers. Then a decision to move forward and embed the concepts in every single part of the business while building it and/or transforming it. Together, the vision and decision are transformed into execution: everyday operations, decision-making and business practices will reflect a socially responsible business. Finally, Cook adds that there are challenges and threats that socially responsible organizations face but change cannot be avoided nor skipped as it will always come back knocking on their door.
