Corporate Sustainability Report: MGT-613, SDG and BCorp Analysis

This report delves into the realm of corporate sustainability, examining the integration of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the framework of a BCorp certified company, specifically Murray River Organics. It begins with an introduction to the SDGs and their importance in addressing global challenges such as poverty and environmental protection. A literature review highlights the 17 SDGs, emphasizing their relevance to businesses. The report then analyzes how Murray River Organics aligns with specific SDGs, particularly Zero Hunger, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Partnerships for the Goals. The effectiveness of these goals in the context of BCorp certification is evaluated, along with the challenges faced in achieving them, such as malnutrition, unequal production patterns, and the impact of globalization. The discussion section compares Murray River Organics with competitors like Tofurky. The report concludes with recommendations for enhancing sustainability, focusing on economic conditions, consumption rates, and corporate social responsibility. The references include a comprehensive list of sources used in the research.

Running head: CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY
CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................2
Highlighting the Sustainable Development Goals................................................................2
Sustainable goals perfectly combine with Murray River Organics......................................4
Effectiveness of the goals.....................................................................................................5
Challenges of the Sustainable development goals................................................................5
Discussion..................................................................................................................................6
Summary....................................................................................................................................7
Recommendations......................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
Sustainable development goals are adopted by the United Nations in order to combat
the problems of poverty and protecting the planet to make sure that every single individual on
this planet gets the freedom to live life live on their own terms with peace. These goals are
adopted by all the members of the United Nations and ensure that the problems that have
been detected and the solutions to be provided get effective within 2030. Murray River
Organics has been chosen for the development of this project as it is a BCorp Certified
company. The reason behind choosing BCorp Certification is that it helps in measuring the
performance of the company both socially and environmentally which goes right with the
integration of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Literature Review
Highlighting the Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable development goals have been taken by the United Nations in the year
2012 by replacing the Millenium Developmental Goals to meet the challenges that have been
faced by the world. As opined by Barbier and Burgess (2017), the goals that are taken are
mainly to focus on the challenges of the economic condition along with that of the political
and environmental. A look at the goals that have been taken by the United Nations along with
the member countries:
1. No Poverty: This goal aims to abolish poverty from everywhere and in every
aspect.
2. Zero Hunger: In this goal, it has been defined that hunger needs to be abolished
and achieve security for food. Agriculture in a sustainable way needs to be
developed along with improving nutrition.

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3. Good Health and Well-Being: This goal makes it sure that all the lives are
healthy and that people of all ages are well taken care of their health
4. Quality Education: People of all ages in different parts of the country get the best
possible education in a reasonable way.
5. Gender Equality: Girls and women must be empowered than that of male
empowerment
6. Clean Water and Sanitation: Water needs to be managed in a sustainable way
and that sanitation must be provided to people in all the region
7. Affordable and Clean Energy: Energy must be provided to all the people in a
sustainable manner and that at the affordable way
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth: Employment needs to be productive and
that there must be a sustainable way of working conditions.
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Industrialization needs to develop in
such a way that it promotes innovation which has been of requirement
10. Reduced Inequalities: Race, culture and economic inequalities needs to be
reduced
11. Sustainable Cities and Communications: Settlement of the cities need to be
developed in a buoyant way
12. Responsible Consumption and Production: Consumption and the patterns of
production needs to be sustainable
13. Climate Action: Actions need to be taken on an urgent basis to combat with the
present conditions of climatic variations
14. Life Below Water: Conservation needs to be done for justifiable development of
the marine assets

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15. Life On Land: Promoting the justifiable use of terrestrial ecosystem and contest
with the ways of deforestation and halts in the loss of biodiversity
16. Peace, Justice And Strong Institutions: Peace must prevail in all the societies and
that justice needs to be promoted in a sustainable way
17. Partnerships for the Goals: Partnership on a global basis needs to be developed
for developing sustainability
Sustainable goals perfectly combine with Murray River Organics
Murray River Organics has been the largest and renowned manufacture of organic
foods all through Australia. The company has been manufacturing organic food not only to
Australia but also all through the globe. This company also have their own farmland and that
it makes the company the largest manufacturer of organic vine fruit all over the globe
(Murrayriverorganics.com.au, 2015).
Figure 1: Sustainable Development Goals combines with Murray River Organics
(Source: As influenced by Booth and Whelan, 2014)
Zero Hunger
Responsible
Consumption
and Production
Partnerships
for the Goals

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Among the sustainable goals that have been stated above Zero Hunger, Responsible
Consumption and Production and Partnership for the Goals go well with the company. As
opined by Booth and Whelan (2014), as the company has been associated with the organic
food manufacturing unit these goals combines in a perfect way with the company.
Effectiveness of the goals
B Corporation certifies companies by measuring the social performance of the
company along with the performance of the company for protecting the environment
(Bcorporation.net, 2019). These goals are effective in the sense that socially it is the
responsibility of the company to reduce the hunger percentage of Australia along with the
other countries where it markets the product. According to Doyle and Stiglitz (2014), the
aboriginal people of Australia need to be looked at first as these people found not to get
sufficient food that has been of need.
Responsible consumption and production also go well with the company as the
company not only manufactures the organic vine fruit but it also has the farmland.
Consumption in a sustainable way will only develop if there is a change in the patterns of
production. The company needs to change the patterns of production so that it can meet the
measures of consumption of food in a sustainable way. B Corporation measures performance
socially this could be the best thing for the company. According to Garnett (2014), this is one
of the ways through which security is provided to the food material as production is made
based on the need for the people.
The third goal is Partnerships for the Goals is as effective as that of the previous two.
In order to develop sustainability in the food consumption and production of the food
materials partnership is of requirement. The effectiveness of partnership lies in the way that
not only organic vine fruits but other food material that has been of need to be a

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manufacturer. Development of sustainability occurs in this way only which in one way
measures the parametres of social performances for the company (Griggs et al. 2013)
Challenges of the Sustainable development goals
One of the biggest challenges that will be faced by the company within the agenda of
sustainable development goals is malnutrition. Due to inequalities in the income of people the
Zero Hunger agenda will cost for the company. Another thing that will create a problem in
gaining the Zero Hunger agenda is that of Obesity among the children in most parts of the
world (Lang & Barling 2013).
The pattern of Production is found not to be distributed in an equal manner. Most of
the areas that are adjacent to the industries found not have distributed the farmland in an
equal manner. Industrial wastes and change in the condition of climate also found to create a
barrier for sustaining the production process. Consumption, on the other hand, is found to be
inequal as most of the developed countries consume more food products than that of the
developing or fall into third world countries (Le Blanc, 2015).
The third and most important agenda that are found to be challenged within the
framework of Sustainable Development Goal is that of Partnership for the goals. Most of the
companies will deny partnership as there is an impact of globalization. Globalization has
developed an open market for most companies to trade with minimal risk and barriers and
that it develops competition among the companies. (Liu, 2018).

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Discussion
Murray River organics are developing their work on the three goals of the SDG for
enhancing sustainability that has been of requirement. The company has been taking care of
the aboriginal people of Australia and tries to bring on the food products that have been of
their requirement to accomplish the goal of Zero Hunger. Along with the dry vine fruits the
company has been developing other food products that will help to distribute the necessary
food materials required among the people of the country. According to that they are
developing their process of production (Moore, 2015).
Among the competitors that create a competition in the market Tofurky has been
found to be the biggest one. Most of the food products are protein and that it has been serving
the world and the Australian market for more than 35 years. One of the comparisons that
need to be done at this juncture is that Tofurky has been in contract with Woolsworth and
that could be a problem to Murray River Organics for not establishing the brand in a broader
spectrum.
Summary
A partnership needs to be developed not only on the basis of the same industry but on
the basis of doing something for the world
Recommendations
 Zero hunger needs to be balanced according to the economic condition of people and
by looking at health conditions
 Consumption rate needs to be reduced or balanced according to the need of people
from every part of the world
 The partnership will only be possible if the competition can be reduced and that needs
to fall into the category of Corporate Social Responsibility

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References
Barbier, E. B., & Burgess, J. C. (2017). The Sustainable Development Goals and the systems
approach to sustainability. Economics: The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-
Journal, 11(2017-28), 1-23.
https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/170534/1/1000712508.pdf
Barbier, E. B., & Burgess, J. C. (2017). The Sustainable Development Goals and the systems
approach to sustainability. Economics: The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-
Journal, 11(2017-28), 1-23.
https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/170534/1/1000712508.pdf
Bcorporation.net (2019). Certified B Corporation. Retrieved on 9th October 2019 from
https://bcorporation.net/certification
Booth, S., & Whelan, J. (2014). Hungry for change: the food banking industry in
Australia. British Food Journal, 116(9), 1392-1404.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jill_Whelan/publication/265856795_Hungry_for
_change_The_food_banking_industry_in_Australia/links/
54a9e26c0cf256bf8bb960d8/Hungry-for-change-The-food-banking-industry-in-
Australia.pdf
Doyle, M. W., & Stiglitz, J. E. (2014). Eliminating extreme inequality: A sustainable
development goal, 2015–2030. Ethics & International Affairs, 28(1), 5-13.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ade_Olaiya-UWE_Bristol/post/Can_universal_h
uman_rights_be_protected_from_becoming_the_privilege_of_a_minority_given_exis
ting_inequalities_between_and_within_UN_member_states/attachment/

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Inequality2013.pdf
Garnett, T. (2014). Three perspectives on sustainable food security: efficiency, demand
restraint, food system transformation. What role for life cycle assessment?. Journal of
Cleaner Production, 73, 10-18. https://fcrn.org.uk/sites/default/files/tg-jcp-2013.pdf
Griggs, D., Stafford-Smith, M., Gaffney, O., Rockström, J., Öhman, M. C., Shyamsundar, P.,
... & Noble, I. (2013). Policy: Sustainable development goals for people and
planet. Nature, 495(7441), 305.
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/844naturesjournal.pdf
Lang, T., & Barling, D. (2013). Nutrition and sustainability: an emerging food policy
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http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/12900/9/ProcNutSoc%20SustDiet%20LangBarling
%2024%2010%2012.pdf
Le Blanc, D. (2015). Towards integration at last? The sustainable development goals as a
network of targets. Sustainable Development, 23(3), 176-187.
https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/19066/Towards_Integration_
at_Last_The_Sustainable_De.pdf?sequence=1
Liu, J. (2018). An integrated framework for achieving Sustainable Development Goals
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%5B1%5D.pdf
Moore, H. L. (2015). Global prosperity and sustainable development goals. Journal of
International Development, 27(6), 801-815.

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%20Development%20Goals.pdf
Murrayriverorganics.com.au (2015). Our Story. Retrieved on 9th October 2019 from
https://www.murrayriverorganics.com.au/about-us