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Company Response

8 May 2023

Author:
Danone

Danone response

...As underscored in our Human Rights Policy, Danone is committed to respecting and strengthening human rights in our value chain, which means acting with due diligence to avoid infringing on the rights of others and address adverse human rights impacts with which we are involved. Human rights due diligence is an ongoing process that requires particular attention depending on categories of goods or services, or geographies. Stakeholder dialogue is key to our approach, and we actively engage with our employees, workers and external stakeholders who are or could potentially be impacted by our actions.

With respect to the conflict, and as we have highlighted previously, our first priority has been for the safety of our employees in Ukraine. We have also aimed to maintain our mission to bring health through food, providing essential products.

We have been closely monitoring the situation with a view to the impacts on people and our mission, and have been adapting as the context evolves.

This has led to the following actions.

First, Danone decided in April 2022 to significantly adapt its operations in Russia, by:

  • Refocusing its portfolio on essential dairy products, infant and medical nutrition, and ceasing all imports of evian and Alpro products;
  • Stopping all new investments, including advertising, brand activations and consumer promotions;
  • Vowing not to take cash, dividends or profits from Russia, and to donate any profits made in the country to humanitarian relief organizations; and
  • Donating to the Red Cross to support humanitarian aid for those in Ukraine affected by the crisis.

Subsequently, in October 2022, we announced that we would start working to transfer control of our Essential Dairy and Plant-based (EDP) business in Russia. This process is advancing. Our priority continues to be to act responsibly and respectfully to its local employees, consumers, and partners.

Our intention at this stage is to continue to provide specialized nutrition products for infants and patients, in accordance with our mission and in line with our Human Rights Policy. This means assessing and working to mitigate potential adverse human impacts...

Timeline