Sproud is among very few companies that put actual climate footprint on all consumer packaging. While being proud of their sustainability work, these “Changemakers with a Purpose” place transparency at the heart of their business strategy. As a result, Sproud is the first food company ever to be verified for ISO 26000.

The most common way to structure the corporate website is to place the ‘About us’ section on the navigation menu. Instead, Sproud lets its sustainability work speak for itself and its work. Sustainability is Sproud’s ‘About us’ section. Being the first food company to be ISO 26000 verified, it spearheads social and environmental change, pushing the shift to more sustainable eating and drinking habits.

Sproud’s mission is not just about reducing greenhouse gas emissions; it’s about making a significant change. Knowing that food production contributes to over a quarter (26%) of global greenhouse gas emissions, Sproud has made it their urgent purpose to shift to a plant-based diet. This is not a choice they take lightly but consider it a necessity they are determined to address.

This Malmö based company was founded with a sustainability purpose. Although established just six years ago, in 2018, it is already present in 30 markets worldwide. They aim to make available the tastiest, healthiest, most sustainable plant-based dairy products. Therefore, promoting sustainable lifestyles and choices is at the very heart of their mission.

“We want our consumers to be able to make climate-smart decisions in-store with ease, so we are putting the carbon footprint on all of our packaging. Increasing the proportion of plant-based foods is an important contribution to meeting the World’s climate challenges”, Sprouds CEO Sara Berger comments.

In the effort and commitment to reduce its environmental impact, Sproud adopts a collaborative, partnership-based approach to sourcing, producing, and selling goods. Furthermore, the company has assessed and identified relevant Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as sustainable tasks aligned with the seven key underlying principles of social responsibility outlined in ISO 26000. These goals and principles have been integrated into Sproud’s sustainable business model, and a strategic sustainability program has been developed to guide the company in its daily operations and towards its greater vision of contributing to a more sustainable world.

Vati of Sweden has accompanied Sproud throughout this entire journey, and we feel very (S)proud of all their achievements. Ever since their beginnings, our CEO and founder, Eva Vati, has followed and worked closely with Sproud in developing their sustainability strategy, mapping their impacts and those stakeholders affected by them. This is how she has experienced its journey: For many years now, I have lived by the “be the change you want to see in the world” rule, and it is the same rule I can tell Sproud lives by. That same level of sustainability commitment and climate ambition is today perhaps not that common to find, but I am confident we will have many companies getting inspired by Sproud and contributing to a better world. With sustainability and equality leading the way forward, we can combat climate change. That is why it feels so rewarding to accompany Sproud on their journey.

The Sproud’s journey shows how Sustainability and Transparency go hand in hand. Overall, plant-based foods produce half of the climate impact of animal-based ones. And of all plant-based ‘milks’, Sproud has the lowest footprint. That could never have happened if this fast-growing Swedish food company hadn’t talked the talk and walked the walk. If it were not mindful of its impact. To prove it, they place focus on the choices regarding everything from the purchase of raw materials to packaging and carefully measuring their carbon footprint.

This is a company strongly committed to its mission and purpose and has used CarbonCloud to measure the climate footprint of its products. As a result, in February 2022, Sproud Vanilla became the first product to be labeled with its climate footprint directly on the packaging, soon followed by the rest of their assortment. This is why they are the sustainability front-runners we at Vati of Sweden seek to support.

With sustainability deeply rooted in its purpose, Sproud is an example of what the ‘Agenda 2030 company’ should look like. They dare to adventure beyond compliance because the World needs it and because it is where the opportunities emerge. Hence, it was no surprise that they are the first food company to get their ISO 26000 self-declaration verified by an accredited third party in 2023. Furthermore, its commitment to Sustainability and Transparency has been reaffirmed by initiating the process to become B-Corp certified and by getting Sproud’s work re-verified recently this year by Verify Agency.

Faced with the world’s climate challenges, it is often difficult to focus on one’s responsibilities, abilities, and contributions. That is why Sproud is such a good example. It is a company that wants to be involved and create change today, not tomorrow, and it does so with great tasting innovations and the goal of creating a better food system. They are serious about reversing global warming and are very good at doing something about it.

SOURCES:

• ”We believe in transparency to enable climate conscious choices” – Sproud puts actual climate footprint on all consumer packaging
• Sproud Program for Sustainability
• Livsmedel/Fokus/2022 – Intervju Sara Berger
• https://besproud.com/sustainability/