Danone has become the largest B Corporation (B Corp) certified food and drink company in Australia and New Zealand, joining a growing list of over 400 businesses to achieve the certification in the region and over 4,700 globally.
B Corp is a growing global business movement committed to the highest levels of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
The rigorous certification is independently administered by B Lab and awarded to companies that can demonstrate verifiable positive impact through policies and practices for employees, communities, customers, and the environment.
The certification is part of Danone’s broader global commitment for all its business entities to become B Corp certified by 2025. Currently, more than 60 percent of the company’s global sales are covered.
“We’re thrilled to have achieved B Corp certification across our wholly-owned businesses in Australia and New Zealand,” Danone head of Corporate Affairs Scott Pettet said. “The journey to certification isn’t an easy one and nor should it be. B Lab has rightly set the bar very high, which makes the achievement all the more rewarding for every Danone employee in Australia and New Zealand. We also know that increasingly, employees, customers, consumers, and broader society expect a much stronger stance from businesses and brands on important social and environmental issues.”
B Lab, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in the US in 2006 with the idea that a different kind of economy was not only possible but necessary — and that business could lead the way towards a new, stakeholder-driven model. Some of the world’s best-known brands such as Patagonia, Inc., The Body Shop, and Ben & Jerry’s count themselves as part of the global B Corp movement.
“I am so excited to see Danone Oceania joining over 4,700 Certified B Corporations worldwide — a truly diverse group of businesses unified by the idea of using business as a force for good,” B Lab Global co-founder and co-CEO Bart Houlahan said.
“Globally, the Danone group has been a partner with us for many years, using its profile to add credibility and accelerate the growth of this movement. The success at Danone Oceania is part of this story and I look forward to continuing to work with Danone globally as we work to create an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.”
In Australia and New Zealand, Danone sells a broad range of specialized nutrition products to support healthy growth and development during the first 1,000 days, as well as products that address some of the world’s biggest health challenges. This includes faltering growth, food allergy and rare metabolic diseases, age-related conditions and chronic disease, frailty, cancer, stroke, and early Alzheimer’s disease.
“To have a business the size and complexity of Danone achieve B Corp Certification is a huge step for us in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. It builds on the work of 400 local B Corps, large and small, who have led the way,” B Lab Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand CEO Andrew Davies said.
“Danone’s certification also shows it is possible for big business to have a positive impact, to hold themselves accountable, and to grow whilst focusing on the stakeholders it impacts in all aspects of its value chain.”