Bloom & Wild Group: Responsible Lobbying Policy
1. Our Purpose and Intent
At Bloom & Wild Group (including Bloom & Wild, bloomon, and Bergamotte), we are thoughtful about how we use our influence and where we share our voice, across all geographic markets where we operate. We do not lobby for our own financial benefit. Instead, we believe our influence should help create an economic system that is fair, inclusive, and restorative for the planet. We engage in advocacy that benefits society and the environment, or that streamlines policy to improve how our industry operates without compromising the public interest. We use our brand authority to support systemic changes, specifically focusing on areas aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and B Corp’s B Lab Standards, including:
Systemic Governance: Requiring all businesses to consider people and the planet, not just profit (for example, supporting the Better Business Act).
Economic Equity: Supporting the growth of sustainable startups. Economic Equity means ensuring all businesses, regardless of their size, have a fair chance to succeed if they operate sustainably.
Ethical Commerce: Leading the industry toward marketing that is thoughtful and inclusive of everyone.
2. Evidence-Based Advocacy
To ensure our advocacy is credible, all Group policy positions are based on reliable data. We rely on evidence-based research and insights from independent experts. This includes organizations like the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) or academic institutions. We use this data to support our requests for regulatory change. 3. Ethical Conduct and Contributions
We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards in all government interactions.
Political Contributions: Bloom & Wild Group maintains a strict policy against making financial or "in-kind" contributions to political parties, candidates, or campaigns. In-kind means providing services, equipment, or space instead of direct money.
Anti-Corruption and Bribery: We have zero tolerance for bribery, corruption, conflicts of interest, or the exertion of undue influence. We define corruption as the abuse of power for personal or private gain. We maintain strict controls to prevent this conduct during any government affairs activities.
4. Working with Partners and Intermediaries
We often collaborate with other groups, such as trade associations and coalitions. To ensure these partners align with our values, we:
Perform regular reviews of their activities and public positions.
Publicly disclose any material misalignment. This means if a partner takes a public stance that goes against our core values, we will be open about our disagreement.
End our partnership if an organization’s efforts consistently work against our social or environmental purpose.
5. Governance and Accountability
We are each responsible for protecting our culture and reputation.
Accountability: The Group Executive Team is responsible for enforcing this policy daily and ensuring that our business strategy and any advocacy align, considering our responsibilities to our stakeholders, so that we act our company value ‘Lead Change for Good’.
Review and Approval: Our Board formally reviews and approves this policy every 12 months.
Monitoring: Our Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Steering Committee monitors for risks. We maintain a register to identify and manage any partnerships that do not follow our framework.
Involvement: This policy is embedded into our daily operations through targeted guidance provided through a.o. our Code of Ethics training.
6. Transparency and Grievances
We welcome open dialogue regarding our public positions.
Public Reporting: We publish a summary of our lobbying positions and resources every year on our website.
Grievance Procedure: If you or any stakeholder have concerns about our lobbying practices, you can raise them through our established Grievance Procedure.
Protection from Retaliation: We guarantee that no one will face negative consequences for raising a concern in good faith. If you have any questions regarding this policy or how it applies to your work, please contact the People Team or email ethics@bloomandwild.com