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The "dual economic and social project"
Interview of 2011
The "dual economic and social project" that is the foundation of the Danone way of doing business is almost forty years old. What still makes it timely today?
Franck Riboud: this "dual project" was born of a simple fact that remains just as true today: a company cannot succeed in the long run if it turns its back on the society it is a part of, if it only looks to its short-term economic gain. Danone’s founder understood very quickly that creating economic value and social value are both essential to a company’s solidity.
it is common to oppose the "social" and "economic" spheres, where social needs are perceived as a cost and therefore generally detrimental to a company’s competitiveness. I see things differently. Take food and its contribution to health, which is at the core of Danone’s mission.
The challenges are huge at the scale of the planet: supporting people by offering healthy and balanced nutrition for every stage of life, helping reduce nutritional imbalances that lead to obesity or dietary deficiencies, allowing everyone access to quality food. I see no opposition here, but rather an extraordinary convergence between the economic and social spheres. A bad diet has direct consequences on people’s health, but also major economic consequences in terms of public health costs. Food companies like Danone should offer solutions that please consumers and respond to public health concerns in each country. This can be an impressive catalyst for innovation and growth.
br> The same is true for the environment: reducing energy and raw materials consumption and developing clean technologies are good for the planet, and also for business.
