Riverford Organic Farmers sustainability score: 33/100
Better than 20% of Food & Beverage (non-meat)
Making progress starts at 46. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Limited independent evidence: only two independent sources cover this company. The score may change as more evidence appears.
Riverford is a UK organic veg box business based in Buckfastleigh, Devon, delivering vegetables, fruit, meat and groceries to homes, partly through franchisees; it grows some of its produce on its own farms and buys in the rest. Riverford Organic Farmers Limited was incorporated in 1999 and has been wholly employee-owned since 2023.
More about Riverford Organic Farmers
It had about 1,051 employees and £116.9 million turnover in its year to May 2025.
Founded 1999Head office Buckfastleigh, Devon, UKStaff ~1,051Revenue ~£116.9M turnover (FY to May 2025)Website ↗
Riverford's own footprint was 12,812 tCO2e in its year to May 2025, up 8%, and it leaves out the food it buys in, the largest source for a food business, so the size deduction for an incomplete footprint applies. Its electricity has been on a green tariff since 2007 and it has solar panels on its farms, but only 68% of its delivery vans are electric and it dropped its 100% goal. Its targets are self-set, with no SBTi commitment. Everything it sells is certified organic and its boxes are reused, but it publishes no water figures.
Riverford Organic Farmers scores 33/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified November 2026.
That places Riverford Organic Farmers joint 629th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 40th of 51 in Food & Beverage (non-meat).
What is Riverford Organic Farmers doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Carbon Footprint: Operations (8/10, 6/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Water Impact (0/10, 3/10).
Where Riverford Organic Farmers lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow its emissions are falling.
- Its effect on waterMonitor its water use and take measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targetsSet specific targets with dates.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations6/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain4/10Most of its supply-chain (Scope 3) emissions aren't measured.
- Whether its emissions are falling0/10No evidence its emissions are falling.
- How clean its energy is5/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature5/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste6/10No verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
- Its effect on water3/10No monitoring of water use, or no measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targets3/10No specific targets with dates.
- How openly it reports6/10No mission-locked structure, such as B Corp certification.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Riverford Organic Farmers's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Riverford Organic Farmers's score changed?
Riverford Organic Farmers's score has moved from 57 to 33 across 2 recorded reviews, down 24 points.
- 57 → 33-243 November 2026
UK B Corp batch 4 re-score under v2.5: Food & Beverage (non-meat), 0.70x under C3 (purchased food missing from its partial Scope 3); owner sign-off 2026-11-03 for the swing from 57
- Scored 574 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is Riverford Organic Farmers's score based on?
13 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
23% of them were published by Riverford Organic Farmers itself; the rest come from independent sources.
Riverford's own footprint is 12,812 tCO2e (Scope 1 4,435 t, Scope 2 1,087 t, Scope 3 7,290 t), but the company itself calls its Scope 3 partial: it leaves out the food it buys in (Scope 3 category 1), the largest source for a food retailer. So the size deduction for an incomplete footprint (0.70x) applies.
10 of 13 sources are independent of the company.
“Our 2024-25 financial year footprint has increased slightly from the previous year”
“Total annual net emissions tCO2e [12,546 | 11,848”
“carbon emissions (Scope 1, 2, and partial Scope 3”
“Since 2007, we've bought green electricity from Ecotricity”
“However, none of its fruit or veg is air-freighted, and the business is employee-owned.”
“Riverford performs well in several environmental and sustainability categories.”
“Riverford will be 100% owned by staff after its founder Guy Singh-Watson agreed to sell his remaining 23% stake for almost £10 million.”
“leaving it 100% owned by its 900 staff”
“01130 - Growing of vegetables and melons, roots and tubers”
“Organic meat sales were particularly strong, accounting for a tenth of Riverford’s revenue”
“It aims to electrify its entire fleet of delivery vans by 2025 with a target of electrifying 70% of its fleet by the end of 2023.”
“Filing history for RIVERFORD ORGANIC FARMERS LIMITED (03731570)”
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How does Riverford Organic Farmers compare with other food & beverage (non-meat) companies?
Where Riverford Organic Farmers sits among food & beverage (non-meat) peers.
Among the 51 major food & beverage (non-meat) brands we've scored, Riverford Organic Farmers is tied =40th of 51, with 1 other.
Who scores higher in Food & Beverage (non-meat)?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Riverford Organic Farmers.
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