Danone‘s North American business has become a B Corp, the latest in the French giant’s subsidiaries to earn the certification.
A B Corp-certified business takes into account stakeholders in general, rather than holding as pre-eminent the return to its shareholders.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The Activia and Alpro owner today (12 April) announced its North American unit – formerly known as DanoneWave and which represents 30% of the company – had qualified for the certification, joining subsidiaries including Danone Dairy UK.
Emmanuel Faber, Danone’s chairman and CEO, said the move was the latest step in the company’s “progress towards global B Corp certification”.
He added: “People rightly expect large organizations like Danone to use their scale for positive impact. We do not take this responsibility lightly. B Corp certification is one measure that provides consumers, investors and other stakeholders with a robust framework to assess whether the company they support is having a positive impact on society and the planet.”
Launched in the US in 2007, the B Corp certification is taking in more food companies, predominantly SMEs, although a growing number of subsidiaries of larger corporations have also qualified.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalData“A successful B Corp movement needs an inclusive community of companies of all sizes: from Fortune 500 companies to small sole proprietors. Today’s announcement shows how even complex multinational corporations can commit to balancing meaningful change with shareholder expectations,” Bart Houlahan, co-founder of B Lab, the US NGO that set up the certification.
The certification of Danone North America comes a year after Danone reconstituted the subsidiary’s predecessor DanoneWave as a public benefit corporation, a new legal entity being created in many US states which balances shareholders’ financial interests with benefits to the environment and society. It then committed DanoneWave – formed when Danone acquired US group WhiteWave Foods – to becoming B Corp-certified by 2020.
