The Role of Business in Sustainable Development: Becoming Benefit Corporations in the Agri-Food Sector

The debate concerning the role of business in society has a long tradition in business ethics and economics. The dispute over the purpose of business has been commonly associated with the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The concept of CSR is based on the idea that corporate behaviour should not only ensure returns to shareholders, but also consider social and environmental issues. In this chapter, we will describe some concepts related to the purpose of business in society, looking to the evolution of sustainability in business, from CSR approach to ESG and Benefit Corporations, and will show a case study based on an Italian firm, Aboca, one of the first to introduce the Benefit Corporation certification in Italy.