STONYFIELD FARM – THE BUSINESS MODEL FOR SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY: A CASE STUDY

Founded in 1983 as a small family owned yogurt firm, Stonyfield Farm became a $96.8 million company in 2002 with over 4% of the yogurt market in U.S. and the largest producer of organic yogurt nationwide. Despite its impressive growth, the company has held to its founding mission to support small family-run dairies in New England, provide a healthful, productive and enjoyable workplace for all employees, and serves as a model to show that environmentally and socially responsible businesses can also be profitable. This case study analyzes the drivers and incentives for environmental and social decision-making that have driven the company on the way to sustainability. It demonstrates that even small companies with limited resources can achieve business success while following sustainability principles

Community Essay: Product stewardship in the United States: the changing policy landscape and the role of business

Since I came to the United States almost twelve years ago, I have been astonished by the rate of consumption and the enormous amount of waste generated by people and organizations. Could Americans wake up one day without electricity, gasoline, or bread, as happened to many Eastern European countries in the early 1990s? It was a tough lesson that many people of my generation will never forget. It is clear to me that the current rate of consumption and environmental pollution is unsustainable. Every few years, people change cars, computers, televisions, other appliances, and even their homes! It is often said that if every person on this planet consumed like Americans, we would need several planets Earth. But why should people in other countries not have the right to own a car, travel to exotic destinations, and purchase prepackaged food, modern appliances, and toys for their children? As an engineer and scientist trained in cleaner production, I have always believed in the unlimited potential of humankind to find solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems. But we need to have the right incentives. This does not mean people and organizations should not change their consumption patterns, but rather that we can build the economy from a systems perspective, considering the entire lifecycle of products and services and the social, economic, and environmental impacts of our actions today and in the decades to come. The current global recession makes it even clearer that a systems approach is critical going forward to ensure stable and sustainable development in an increasingly interconnected world. Business, government, and civil society organizations all need to work together to design the rules of the new economic system where products last longer, have no toxic chemicals, and are reused and recycled; society as a whole consumes less; and people spend more time with family and friends and less time working to maintain their “standard of living.

Business, Environment and Society: Themes and Cases

This book blends theory and practice to support courses in corporate social responsibility (CSR), business and society, and environmental management and sustainability. Based on her extensive work with companies, the author offers engaging readings and teaching cases that address key challenges for business today—measurement, supply chain management, public policy, and stakeholder pressures. Part I focuses on the macro-level and provides an overview of concepts such as the green economy, eco-industrial parks, corporate social responsibility (corporate citizenship), nanotechnology, and sustainable consumption. Part II provides specific frameworks and tools for sustainability management and measurement at the company level. Part III includes detailed teaching cases of several well-known firms. The main theme is that business is a key player in achieving a more sustainable development, yet its practices are often narrow in focus or shortsighted. The text provokes discussions around issues such as: Is business sustainability possible in a market economy focused on increasing consumption? Should a product or service be called “green” when it puts at risk the health and safety of workers? What can U.S. policymakers learn from their European counterparts when it comes to protecting human health and the environment? How can we ensure that the benefits of nanotechnology exceed its risks? How can sustainability indicators be used as a tool to advance sustainability by companies and policymakers? The book provides a flexible, up-to-date supplementary teaching tool for undergraduate and graduate students, executive education courses, and certificate programs.https://scholarworks.umb.edu/bookshelf/1026/thumbnail.jp

Benchmarking green chemistry adoption by the Indian pharmaceutical supply chain

This paper provides the first benchmarking study of green chemistry (GC) adoption by the Indian pharmaceutical supply chain based on information from industry representatives leading such efforts. Results demonstrate that generic drug pharma and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) manufacturers in India exhibit significant interest and some advances in using GC principles. At the same time, majority (65%) of Indian companies rely on treatment and disposal of waste water instead of source reduction and one in five (20%) does not use any GC metrics. The study found that generic pharma is more advanced in adopting GC principles than API manufacturers. Regulatory risk and time pressures to deliver drugs were reported as the two most significant barriers for greater adoption of GC in India, while cost savings and environmental regulations were cited as the top two drivers. The paper concludes with some recommendations for advancing GC adoption in India

NOVEL METHODS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF CRACK PROPAGATION IN ENDODONTICALLY TREATED TEETH

Background: Vertical root fractures (VRF) can be defined as either complete or incomplete fractures that occur predominantly in endodontically treated teeth (ETT). The clinical symptoms and conventional radiographic techniques are not always accurate, which can lead to diagnostic errors. This motivated us to seek new, better techniques that can improve the prognosis and treatment of ETT with vertical fractures. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of three novel techniques: Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), Optical Computed Tomography (OCT) and 3D Profilometry for the visualization and assessment of VRF. Methods: The study involved intact human premolars, extracted for orthodontic or periodontal reasons. The teeth were then endodontically treated and restored with prefabricated metal posts. No additional preparation of the coronal hard dental tissues was performed, apart from the access cavity. After thermocycling, their fracture resistance was evaluated in a standard testing machine. The resulted vertical fractures and crack propagation were evaluated using CBCT, OCT and 3D Profilometry. Results: The CBCT provided visualization of the tooth in three planes: axial, coronal and sagittal. Root fractures were observed at the coronal and middle 1/3 of the root. The OCT provided highly-detailed, biomicroscopic cross-sectional images of the mesial and distal root surfaces. The images, obtained with 3D Profilometry showed the surface topography and provided precise information about the width and depth of the VRF. Conclusion: All of the techniques used in this study proved to be highly informative, non-invasive and non-contact methods, suitable for the evaluation of VRF

Myconoside Affects the Viability of Polarized Epithelial MDCKII Cell Line by Interacting with the Plasma Membrane and the Apical Junctional Complexes

The phenyl glycoside myconoside, extracted from Balkan endemic Haberlea rhodopensis, has a positive effect on human health, but the exact molecular mechanism of its action is still unknown. The cell membrane and its associated junctional complex are the first targets of exogenous compound action. We aimed to study the effect of myconoside on membrane organization and cytoskeleton components involved in the maintenance of cell polarity in the MDCKII cell line. By fluorescent spectroscopy and microscopy, we found that at low concentrations, myconoside increases the cell viability by enhancing membrane lipid order and adherent junctions. The opposite effect is observed in high myconoside doses. We hypothesized that the cell morphological and physicochemical changes of the analyzed cell compartments are directly related to cell viability and cell apical-basal polarity. Our finding contributes to a better understanding of the beneficial application of phytochemical myconoside in pharmacology and medicine