December 2008 -- danone.communities branches out

Following its initial success with Grameen Danone in Bangladesh, danone.communities has invested in two new social businesses: 1001 Fontaines pour Demain in Cambodia, and La Laiterie du Berger in Senegal.

The danone.communities FCPR venture-capital fund, which is wholly owned by the danone.communities mutual fund (SICAV), has acquired a 34% interest in a business set up by 1001 Fontaines pour Demain to provide safe drinking water to villagers in isolated parts of Cambodia at less than one eurocent a liter.

In Senegal, the venture-capital fund teamed up with I&P, a private investment company focusing on microfinance institutions and small to medium-size business in West Africa, to back a capital increase for Senegal’s La Laiterie du Berger and become a minority shareholder with 25%. La Laiterie du Berger's mission is to promote the production of fresh, locally collected milk, improving conditions for northern Senegal's Peul cattle herders and at the same time offering local consumers high-quality fresh dairy products that are more affordable than those made with imported milk.

Today, danone.communities is launching nearly a dozen immersion tripsto study the potential of new investment projects.