DANONE 2010 in 150 sec

With growth of 6.9% in 2010, Danone was one of the year’s greatest success stories in the food sector. 1/ Every business line contributed to this growth, starting with - Dairy, which saw a major turning point in the merger of Danone and Unimilk in Russia. Russia has now become Danone’s largest market, with more than 140 million inhabitants. - Waters consolidated its positions in all regions. Not only did growth continue at a double-digit pace in emerging countries, but the division gained market shares in countries where it has traditionally been strong, such as France and Germany. - Baby Nutrition performed well in every country where its products are sold, but saw particular success China, Indonesia and the United Kingdom, where the “growing-up milk” segment is gaining market ground. - Medical Nutrition is seeing growth in all its markets, while providing solutions tailored to the needs of the aging, but also to children with severe food allergies or pathologies. 2/ Every one of the group’s regions also shared in this growth. With 49% of its business in emerging countries, the group has shifted to a new geographic equilibrium. Six countries - Mexico, Indonesia, China, Russia, the USA, and Brazil - were particularly strong contributors and are playing a major role in Danone’s evolution. The year 2010 was also a year of acceleration. The 100,000-employee milestone was surpassed and the level of employee commitment reached a record 87 percent! In environmental terms, the 22% reduction of CO2 emissions between 2008 and 2010 is a strong step toward the overall objective of reducing the group’s carbon footprint by 30% by 2012. In the health field, new scientific advancements in gut flora were the impetus behind the first “Microbes for Health” international symposium organised by the Institut Pasteur and Danone Research. Lastly, Danone accelerated its implementation of plans to devise, produce, and distribute products tailored to as many people as possible to assist the populations of India, Senegal, Algeria, Indonesia, China, and many other countries.