CSR News: Danone strengthens its One Planet. One Health agenda for India

Danone India, which is a part of world’s leading food and nutrition company with over 900 million consumers worldwide, announced strategic initiatives under its ‘One Planet. One Health’ frame of action, which will further strengthen its capacity across the food supply chain and deliver innovation across people, planet and product. The frame of action is anchored in the strong belief that the health of the people and health of the planet are interconnected. Contributing to tackle environmental challenges is critical for the resilience of the global food chain as it paves the way for sustainable business growth to create value for all in an inclusive way. With an aim to contribute towards circular economy, Danone has developed a roadmap towards achieving 100% recyclable packaging by 2025. In addition to that, Danone will continue to innovate and create products and solutions that address local needs and promote healthier diets.

Danone is committed to address nutritional challenges like protein deficiency which affects over 70% of the Indian population and has been running an advocacy campaign for mass education since 3 years. Danone also partnered with the Eat Right India movement launched by FSSAI and has pledged to improve the nutritional profile of its product portfolio in India.

‘One Planet. One Health’ is a commitment by Danone as a company and its brands, to stand by the food sovereignty of people. And by supporting people’s educated choices, Danone’s ambition is not only to foster healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking habits but also to create a positive impact on the environment.

Speaking about Danone’s core frame of action, Mr. Himanshu Bakshi, Managing Director, Danone India said, “In today’s times, consumers are increasingly shifting their attention to healthier products and brands which have a positive impact on the environment. At Danone, we believe that food companies have a critical role to address the ever-changing needs of the consumers and that we can change the world through food. Our ‘One Planet. One Health’ frame of action embodies our commitment towards encouraging healthier eating and drinking habits in consumers and espouses sustainable business practices for the industry”.

Sustainability is at the core of this frame of action and through ‘One Planet’ agenda, Danone aims to tackle the environmental challenges that are critical for the health of the planet. Danone has been heavily engaged in water stewardship over the years and the company has already managed to reduce water consumption by 50% at its sites. In addition to ensuring that not a drop is wasted in operations, Danone has been working towards preserving and restoring water resources in agriculture and watersheds.

While Danone has undertaken various initiatives to conserve the environment, it is also continuously innovating to create healthier products and inspire healthy eating and drinking practices. Through its ‘One Health’ agenda, Danone aims to deliver health through food and today over 90% of Danone products are in healthy categories. These products also address the local palette by introduction of seasonal flavors like Mango and Kesar Badam of Protinex in 2019. In addition to delivering health through its portfolio of products, Danone Communities has provided access to safe drinking water to over 700000 people in association with Naandi Community Water Services and has till now launched 647 water kiosks across India.

Given the protein deficiency among 70 % Indians (Source: IMRB 2017 data), Danone India has been spearheading an annual multi-stakeholder consumer awareness initiative, The Protein Week, which delivers knowledge, builds capacity for improving health and creates awareness about the role of protein based nutrition in leading an active and healthy life.

“There is only one Earth. We only live once” said Danone’s first Chairman and CEO Antoine Riboud in 1972, healthy lives are dependent on a healthy planet, and that’s the core meaning of ‘One Planet. One Health’ frame of action which is brought alive today. Each time, we drink and eat, we can vote for the world we want to live in.  This is the purpose of the Food revolution we are driving, reconnecting people with the food they eat. Danone, for centuries, has been selling healthy, delicious products to its consumers tailored to their local nutritional needs and eating habits. And while meeting the expectations of consumers at every stage of life by offering innovative, top-quality products which helps them take care of their health, Danone also wants to preserve resources and protect the environment through their efforts by finding new ways for a sustainable business mainstream.

Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.