The responsibility of a company does not stop at the factory or office doors.
These were the words spoken by Antoine Riboud, then CEO of Danone, during his speech in Marseille in 1972. This marked the birth of Danone’s “dual project,” according to which economic growth and social progress are inseparable.
The essence of the Dual Project inspires Danone’s purpose: to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
Since Daniel Carasso created the first Danone yogurt over a century ago, health has always been at the heart of the company’s activities. Danone’s mission reaffirms this commitment, as does its brand portfolio, which is being progressively reshaped in line with this purpose. Danone offers healthy and delicious products tailored to the nutritional needs and dietary habits of consumers at every stage of life.
Creation of the first consciously designed social business in the world
Photo: William Alix/ Sipa
Franck Riboud (then Chairman of Danone) met Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, inventor of the microcredit in Bangladesh. From this meeting came the creation of the social business Grameen Danone Foods Ltd. in 2006, aimed at fighting child malnutrition in Bangladesh.
We created something new in the market: the very first consciously designed multinational social business in the world. – Professor Yunus
The concept of ‘business as usual’ is completely reimagined with this revolutionary new concept of ‘social business’. Historically, Social business (or social enterprise) is defined by Professor Yunus according to 7 principles:
Aligned with Danone’s health mission, the Danone Communities impact investment fund was created to support innovative entrepreneurs making a difference in the health of vulnerable populations.
During its first five years, Danone Communities incubated three pilot innovation projects and invested in seven social enterprises, including:
Over these five years of “learning by doing,” we supported businesses by focusing on team development, implementing efficient processes, and establishing models to improve financial sustainability. All of these conditions are necessary to prepare for scaling up and increasing the health impact of these social enterprises.
By investing in new social businesses such as Lucky Iron Life, Nazava, Drinkwell ou Impact Water and supporting the growth of those already backed, these companies have significantly strengthened their health impact. The number of beneficiaries increased from nearly one million in 2010 to over 15 million in 2024, thanks to the 15 companies supported by Danone Communities in more than 20 countries.
In 2023, Danone Communities—originator and driving force of the initiative—teamed up with Incofin, an impact asset manager, and other public and private partners to launch the Water Access Acceleration Fund (W2AF). This pioneering fund is dedicated to investing in access to safe drinking water for vulnerable populations, mainly in Africa and Asia.
The W2AF reflects Danone Communities’ ambition to demonstrate that the drinking water sector for low-income populations is ready for investment, and that social impact can go hand in hand with economic viability. The fund is based on a blended finance model, combining public and private capital. It offers two types of shares to attract a variety of investor profiles and places social impact at the core of its strategy through a compensation mechanism linked to social outcomes. The fund targets social enterprises with high growth potential. The amounts invested are tailored to their maturity level, ranging from €300,000 to more than €2 million.
The fund has raised €61 million to invest in innovative social enterprises, water treatment technologies, and decentralized infrastructure (water kiosks, distribution networks, filters, etc.), with an ambitious impact objective. It has already invested in two companies providing access to safe drinking water: Spouts International and Rite Water Solutions Limited.
In 2024, companies supported by Danone Communities and the W2AF enabled 20.8 million people to access safe drinking water every day, representing more than 8.2 billion liters of water distributed.
