Danone — Ethics Grade C+

Danone receives an overall ethics grade of C+ (58/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Consumer Goods. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 65
• privacy: 85
• consumer: 55
• environment: 45
• humanRights: 60

Documented incidents (3)

• Plastic Reduction Lawsuit (medium, 2023) — Sued by environmental groups in France for failing to properly account for its plastic usage and failing to implement an adequate 'de-plasticization' plan under French law.
• Formula Marketing Practices (medium, 2020) — Investigation into marketing practices in Southeast Asia suggested the company was discouraging breastfeeding through aggressive promotion of follow-on formula to mothers.
• Delayed Russia Withdrawal (medium, 2023) — Criticized for the length of time taken to exit the Russian market following the invasion of Ukraine; the assets were eventually seized by the Russian state before a sale could conclude.

Documented good deeds

• B-Corp Certification — Achieved B-Corp status for its North American operations and several European branches, committing to balancing profit and purpose.

Ethical alternatives

• Oatly — Plant-based focus significantly reduces land and water use compared to traditional dairy processing.