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Social, societal and environmental responsibility
5.2 Information concerning Danone's social, societal and environmental performance in compliance with the Grenelle II law
DANONE
REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2015
191
Specific soybean policy
Danone does not purchase directly the vast majority of the soybeans
that enter its supply chain (99% of the volumes are used for animal
feed); however, Danone estimates that these volumes represent
approximately 900 kilotons, i.e. less than 0.3% of global production.
Danone hasmade a commitment, along with key stakeholders – from
farmers to producers of animal feed and leading soybean trading
companies – to help develop a more responsible soybean industry.
Danone reflects its ambition in five strategic priorities:
•
aim for total transparency throughout the supply chain, from
the animal to the land;
•
wherever possible, encourage local crops that are high in protein
as alternatives to soybean imports, thereby helping to make
farmers more independent for animal feed production;
•
promote supply from countries not at risk of deforestation (India,
United States, etc.);
•
if soybeans come from countries with a high risk of deforestation
in South America, ensure traceability from risk-free areas;
•
help to drive change on a global scale through the Consumer
Goods Forum, the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative and any other
initiative that allows Danone to achieve its objectives.
Danone will focus this strategy in seven high-priority countries
that account for 90% of the total estimated volume of animal feed
affecting its supply chain, i.e. Russia, Argentina, Brazil, France, the
United States, Spain and South Africa.
Specific policy for paper/cardboard packaging
Jointly developed with several leading NGOs (including Rainforest
Alliance), Danone's specific paper/cardboard packaging policy has
three objectives:
•
actively reduce the paper packaging weight of each product;
•
give priority to the use of recycled fibers;
•
when possible, give priority to FSC-certified virgin fibers.
Danone makes these policies publicly available on its website.
All these policies (palm oil, soybean and paper/cardboard pack-
aging) are evaluated by the “Global Canopy Program” and Danone
has received the maximum score of 5/5 in the Forest500 ranking
for the second year in a row.
This ranking is available at
www.forest500.org.
Societal information
Danone's societal approach is characterized by a constant effort
to create value for shareholders and for each of its stakeholders.
Danone therefore ensures that its activities result in the develop-
ment of societal benefits.
As part of this approach, four dedicated funds have been created:
the Danone Ecosystem Fund, the danone.communities SICAV, the
Livelihoods Fund and the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming.
These funds are described in section 5.3
Funds sponsored by Danone
.
Regional, economic and social impact of Danone's activities
Danone has decided to incorporate both economic issues (salaries
paid, purchasing and subcontracting, local taxes, etc.) and societal
issues (employment, contribution of know-how, training, support
for local initiatives, contribution to education in areas of expertise,
environmental partnerships) into its activities. The company's
ability to develop constructive relationships with its region or local
environment plays an important role in its overall performance.
Danone's commitment to local communities is in line with its “dual
economic and social project”, which involves:
•
knowing local players and developing long-term relationships
with them;
•
participating in the economic and social development of its
employment area;
•
developing products that the majority of people can afford;
•
helping to maintain business activity and employment by re-en-
gineering Danone's sites that are being restructured.
Relationships with people and organizations with an interest in Danone's activities
Partnership and corporate sponsorship initiatives
Danone's approach is based on a co-creation process that goes
beyond partnerships and involves new forms of collaboration
among many partners: Danone and/or its subsidiaries together
with an institution, representatives from civil society and/or a local
development organization.
Given Danone's largely decentralized organization, the subsidiaries
directly support and develop partnerships and corporate sponsor-
ships. Examples include:
•
SedCero
: theDanone Foundation in Argentina supports a three-na-
tion program (Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay) known as
Sed
Cero
– “zero thirst” – which aims to provide drinking water to
100,000 families by 2016;
•
Eat like a champ
: a nutrition education program for children in the
United Kingdom that targets primary schools and seeks to improve
children's eating habits and promote a more active lifestyle;
•
Restos du Cœur: since 2008, Danone, Carrefour and Restos du
Cœur have implemented a partnership built around a welfare-
to-work initiative.