DanoneWave changes its name, becomes largest B Corp in the world
Danone North America was formed one year ago as DanoneWave, when the Danone U.S. dairy and WhiteWave businesses were combined. The company’s new name—Danone North America—represents an intention to continue its purpose journey with a single identity that’s easily recognizable to consumers of the brands Danone North America makes.
Danone North America is a top 15 food and beverage company and top organic food manufacturer in the United States and maker of food and beverage brands including Dannon, Danimals, Silk, So Delicious, Horizon Organic, and Wallaby. It was formed one year ago as DanoneWave, when the Danone U.S. dairy and WhiteWave businesses were combined. The company’s new name—Danone North America—represents an intention to continue its purpose journey with a single identity that’s easily recognizable to consumers of the brands Danone North America makes.
In addition, Danone has announced that Danone North America and Danone Canada have achieved B Corp certification, two years ahead of target. Approximately 30% of Danone’s global business is now covered by B Corp certification, which is a key component of the company’s commitment to deliver financial success along with social and environmental progress. To obtain B Corp certification, a company must complete a B Impact Assessment and earn an audited minimum score of 80 out of 200 possible points and recertify—with the aim to continuously improve—every two years.
Danone North America becomes the largest Certified B Corporation in the world, while Danone Canada becomes the largest consumer-facing Certified B Corporation in Canada. Counting these two new additions, a total of eight Danone entities have now earned B Corp certification, including dairy subsidiaries in France, Spain, and the United Kingdom; organic baby food brand Happy Family in the United States; Aguas Danone de Argentina; and AQUA in Indonesia.
“People rightly expect large organizations like Danone to use their scale for positive impact. We do not take this responsibility lightly,” said Emmanuel Faber, Danone chairman and CEO. “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. As a company with annual revenue of approximately €25 billion and more than 100,000 employees across 120 countries, our progress towards global B Corp certification proves that profitable and sustainable business is possible, no matter how large your business is.”