Danone North America — Ethics Grade C+

Danone North America 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: 62
• privacy: 85
• consumer: 50
• environment: 55
• humanRights: 70

Documented incidents (3)

• Abrupt Termination of Organic Dairy Contracts (medium, 2021) — Danone terminated contracts with 89 small organic family farms in New England and New York. This move prioritized large-scale industrial dairy operations over regional small-holder farmers.
• Recycling Claim Lawsuit (medium, 2023) — Environmental groups filed a lawsuit alleging Danone made misleading environmental claims about its water bottles. The suit claims bottles branded as '100% recyclable' still contribute to permanent pollution.
• French Plastic Duty Lawsuit (high, 2022) — NGOs sued Danone under the French 'Duty of Vigilance' law for failing to sufficiently reduce its plastic footprint. The filing demands a comprehensive de-plasticization plan.

Documented good deeds

• B Corp Certification — Maintains B Corp status for many subsidiaries, committing to legal requirements for social and environmental performance.

Ethical alternatives

• Organic Valley — A cooperative owned by organic farmers specifically focusing on regional small farms.