Danone becomes fully certified B Corp

Danone has become one of the world’s largest companies to achieve full global B Corp certification, marking the end of a decade-long transformation programme and strengthening its credentials as a purpose-led FMCG supplier.

The dairy giant confirmed that as of 25 November 2025, more than 200 Danone legal entities across 60+ countries are now B Corp certified, following the certification of Danone SA, the parent company, which completes the group’s worldwide accreditation. Around 9 per cent of the global B Corp workforce is now employed by Danone.

Danone’s B Corp journey began in 2015 when it certified its Spanish business. Over the following 10 years, the company progressively added subsidiaries across multiple and very diverse geographies, using what it describes as a “bottom-up” approach to embed high sustainability standards at local market level.

The certification process involved independent assessments across governance, workforce practices, environmental performance, community impact, and supply chain responsibility. Danone says the process helped create alignment across its global sustainability agenda while strengthening employee engagement around a shared purpose.

Sustainability initiatives highlighted

Danone said its B Corp journey has acted as a “catalyst for positive impact,” accelerating progress in areas including:

• Access to quality healthcare for all employees globally
• Support for farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture
• Advancing its Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) climate goals
• Open-source water stewardship expertise
• Deepened community engagement near its manufacturing and operational sites

The company also pointed to a wide range of regional programmes, such as nutritional support initiatives in Malaysia and entrepreneurship schemes for street vendors in West Africa.

In addition to internal efforts, Danone has mentored other organisations, such as dairy farmers in Spain and the US, as they pursue their own B Corp certifications, further contributing to what it calls a more inclusive and regenerative global food system.

“Performance and responsibility in our DNA”

Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Danone, said the achievement represented a defining moment for the business.

“Becoming a leading B Corp is evidence of Danone’s enduring commitment to combine performance and responsibility – which is in our DNA,” he stated. “This milestone demonstrates our renewed efforts to place financial and social sustainability at the heart of our business, building resilience, driving innovation and delivering long-term value for all stakeholders.”

He acknowledged the role of Danone teams “all across the world” who delivered against the group’s sustainability goals and “continue to raise the bar.”

B Lab: “Danone has helped shape the movement”

Clay Brown, co-lead executive at B Lab, the non-profit that oversees B Corp certification, praised Danone's influence on the movement’s global growth.

“Danone has played a pivotal role in the growth of the B Corp movement. Their leadership has inspired others to join the movement and commit to doing business differently, helping us achieve collective impact at scale.”

The B Corp movement empowers companies to step up and play a part in addressing some of the most pressing global challenges of today and reflects growing demand from consumers for businesses to deliver value in a meaningful way.

B Lab and Danone are now working together to evaluate how large multinational businesses should engage with the organisation’s evolving global standards.