In 2005, Danone established its raison d'être. 15 years later, on June 26, 2020, Danone adopted the legal framework of a société à mission, becoming the first listed company to adopt this legal form under the leadership of CEO Emmanuel Faber.
A raison d'être bolstered by our status as a company with a mission
Danone's raison d'être is thus enshrined in Article 1 of the company's bylaws, making it part of its corporate purpose:
"The company's raison d'être is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
"This raison d'être is reflected in the "One Planet. One Health" action framework, which reflects the company's conviction that human health and the preservation of the planet are interdependent and must be at the heart of a food company's strategy. This action framework is based on several decades of responsible corporate action in the service of a dual economic and social project".
A raison d'être co-constructed with stakeholders
Danone's raison d'être is the fruit of a co-construction process involving the group, its shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers and consumers.
The raison d'être was formalized through an integrated process of consultation with employees and the executive committee.
The fruits of this labor were enshrined in the General Meeting's decision to enshrine Danone's raison d'être in its bylaws, with 99.42% of votes in favor.
In addition, when it approved the company's status as a mission-driven company with a raison d'être, the Board of Directors appointed a Mission Committee made up of "personalities of worldwide expertise". This committee is responsible for monitoring the execution of the Mission and publishing an annual report.
Danone, a multinational on a mission
The day after the Annual General Meeting, Danone announced that its shareholders had voted in favor of becoming the first listed mission company. The group is delighted to have taken a "new step in the pursuit of a model of sustainable value creation for all its stakeholders".
The Group serves "committed" brands that pursue a commitment based on health and social issues, while ensuring sustainable, profitable growth.
Emmanuel Faber reiterated "Danone's ambition to build the most attractive food player in the sector, ahead of its time to meet the expectations of the communities and users of our brands and civil society, and the economic challenges of its century ".
From Danone's raison d'être to its raison d'agir: an example of positive-sum action with Volvic
In the summer of 2020, Danone announced that one of its flagship brands, Volvic, was joining the B Corp movement and achieving "carbon neutral" certification. Two certifications that testify to the group's positive actions to address environmental challenges and, more specifically, water here.
Danone is committed to building more sustainable, ethical and inclusive business models that ensure a positive impact on the environmental and societal spheres by renewing the entire life cycle of its products.
More generally, Danone is committed to improving the health of its stakeholders, preserving the planet and its ecosystem, building the future with its teams, and promoting inclusive growth so as to exclude no-one from globalization.
