Danone North America Becomes Largest B Corp Company
Danone North America, formerly known as DanoneWave, has become the largest company to achieve B Corp Certification due to its social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Danone North America joins seven other subsidiaries of the French food and beverage company Danone in achieving this certification, including Danone UK and Danone S.A. Danone intends to earn the certification across all of its subsidiaries, becoming the first multinational food company to obtain a global B CorpCertification.
“People rightly expect large organizations like Danone to use their scale for positive impact while demanding transparency, authenticity, and action,” said Emmanuel Faber, Danone chairman and CEO.
The company scored an 84.9 out of a total possible 200 points in its assessment, administered by nonprofit B Labs. The minimum score to achieve certification is 80; the average sits in the low 50s, reports the Hustle.
“There’s no other certification that I’m aware of that looks at the entire value chain – the practices, policies, commitments, for how you operate,” Deanna Bratter, the company’s director of sustainability, told FoodNavigator-USA.
The company, whose former name reflected French Danone’s 2017 takeover of WhiteWave, announced its rebranding as Danone North America simultaneously with its announcement of its new B Corp status.
This certification is indicative of Danone’s commitments to sustainability and eco-conscious business practices. The company had previously shared its goal of becoming a net zero carbon company by 2050, and last month, it announced a commitment of up to $6 million in support of a groundbreaking soil health research project, which will take place over the next five years.
The Dannon Pledge, announced in 2016, outlined the company’s commitment to reduce the use of synthetic ingredients and eradicate GMO feeds from all products in the Dannon, Oikos, and Danimal lines by 2019. The Pledge also outlined the company’s intentions to work with both dairy farmers and suppliers to bring them closer to this goal.
Danone North America joins companies like King Arthur Flour, Cabot Creamery, Pete & Gerry’s Organic Eggs, and Ben & Jerry’s in achieving B Corp Certification.
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