About
The Good Food Guild relies on the expertise of the beer community to develop, revise and set standards for the beer category. As US beers and breweries evolve, so do our standards. Read on to learn what those standards are and meet the brewers of the Good Food Guild.
Standards
In order to join the Good Food Guild, beer companies must meet the following standards for at least 50% of their product line:
- Certified organic, or meet at least four of the following eligibility criteria:
- Made with at least one ingredient (besides water and yeast) sourced within 150 miles. Malt will be considered “local” if sourced from a local malter.
- Made with at least one ingredient (besides water) that is grown without the use of synthetic inputs, including herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers.
- Made by a brewery that has made concrete water recycling or other resource efficiency improvements in the production or delivery process in the last three years.
- Made by a brewery that engages deeply with its community by participating in a sustainably-minded guild; offering paid time off for employees to volunteer for causes they believe in; or otherwise offers substantial support to its community.
- Made by a brewery that prioritizes resource or consumer packing waste reduction through programs, such as mash repurposing, growler programs and container-related sustainability measures.
- Made by a brewery that proudly maintains one or more third-party accreditations embodying social responsibility and transparency.*
- In addition, all Beer entries must meet the following criteria:
- Made in the USA or US territories.
- Made by a crafter that is an upstanding member of the good food community, committed to equity and inclusion in all levels of their business,** as exemplified through integrating these practices:
- Creating a safe and healthy work environment where employees receive a fair wage, are safe and respected at work and have access to the resources they need to keep themselves healthy.
- Offering a diversity, equity, and inclusion training to staff members and/or leadership annually.
- Thoughtfully acknowledging the heritage of culturally-specific food on websites, packaging and/or marketing materials.
- For the small percentage of Good Food community that operates on a significantly larger scale, meeting additional criteria related to board diversity, maternity leave and employment practices.**
*Such as 1% for the Planet, B Corp, GMO-Free Project, Fair Trade or other local organizations focused on environmental and social responsibility.
**Check if you are in the 2% of companies meeting the Good Food Foundation definition of large scale, and review the addition criteria on the Rules & Regulations page.
Meet the brewers of the Good Food Guild and apply to join.