In 2007, Bagoré Bathily, a Franco-Senegalese veterinarian, founded La Laiterie du Berger with an ambitious goal: enable Fulani herders in Senegal to make a decent living from their activity by promoting the production of local milk. At the time, nearly 90% of the milk consumed in Senegal was imported, even though 30% of the population depended on livestock farming.
Danone Communities got involved as early as 2008 alongside Bagoré and his team, providing patient financing as well as unique business support: Danone volunteers shared their expertise in brand development, industrial management, management control, HR, and operations. This mobilization led to the construction of a solid business model and enabled the company to grow by 30 to 40%.
Today, La Laiterie du Berger:
In 2023, La Laiterie du Berger reached a sufficient level of maturity, both financially and in terms of social impact. Danone Communities then decided to exit the capital it had invested, in line with its mission to support social businesses until they achieve considerable impact and financial balance.
The two shareholders, Danone Communities and Phitrust, then made way for a partnership between Concert Bathily and Danone to support a new phase of growth.
This exit allows Danone Communities to continue investing in new businesses that provide access to safe drinking water and quality food for vulnerable populations.
La Laiterie du Berger fully embodies Danone’s mission: to bring health through food to as many people as possible. By promoting locally produced milk, building an inclusive supply chain, and developing accessible, nutritious products, the company has addressed public health challenges while strengthening the local economy.
This project demonstrates that it is possible to reconcile social impact and economic performance, relying on innovative business solutions to sustainably improve living conditions for vulnerable populations.
The successful capital exit of Danone Communities from La Laiterie du Berger perfectly illustrates our approach: supporting social businesses until they reach a sufficient level of maturity to continue their mission, in line with Danone’s values and commitments.
