White Plains, NY – DanoneWave hosted an annual two-day forum for many of the farmer partners who work with the company. This year’s forum, which ended last night in Arlington, Texas, attracted a more diverse set of farmer partners than ever before. Farmers with expertise in animal and plant-based agriculture, ranging from organic to non-GMO to conventional practices, joined from all regions of the country, reflecting DanoneWave’s commitment to serving the growing demand among consumers for more choices to meet their individual needs and preferences. As both the leading organic food maker and yogurt maker in the U.S., DanoneWave holds the number one dairy market position, excluding cheese, and has earned this position based on the wide variety of options it makes available to American shoppers and the integrity with which they are made. Consumers continue to ask for more variety and whether that means organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, grass-fed, dairy or plant-based, providing them with those options will contribute to both DanoneWave’s growth and the availability of better-for-you foods more broadly.
Over the course of the two-day forum, attendees participated in an engaging program, including:
- A live and unfiltered question and answer session with the CEO of DanoneWave, Mariano Lozano,
- Learning sessions on topics including eco-technology, economics, genomics, milk quality, supply chain and animal welfare,
- Plant visits to the company’s yogurt operations in Fort Worth and dairy plus plant-based operations in Dallas,
- Presentations from farmer partners, and
- A keynote from journalist and educator Simran Sethi, whose work is focused on food, sustainability and social change.
DanoneWave’s direct relationship with farmer partners spans the organic and conventional segments of its dairy business. One example of how DanoneWave works with farmer partners is through the Dannon Pledge; farmer partner relationships are at the core of this commitment. To learn more about the Dannon Pledge and to meet some of the farmer partners the company works with, visit www.DannonPledge.com.
“Farmers, the stability of their business and the health of the environment are the starting points for the tasty foods and beverages we make, whether they are organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, grass-fed or conventional. As a public benefit corporation, we are committed to operating in a responsible and sustainable manner; working closely with our farmer partners is one way we live this commitment every day.” said Mariano Lozano, CEO of DanoneWave. “As we embarked on the journey to pursue the Dannon Pledge last year, not only have we learned how to work better with our farmer partners, but we’ve learned about the farmers’ hard work and love of the land. The opportunity for me to hear directly from them helps our business better serve American families with the variety of choices they want. Further, we know that developing these relationships and holding collaborative events such as this annual forum uniquely positions us to provide opportunities for our farmer partners to learn from us, and us from them.”
DanoneWave recognized several of its partners with awards during the forum for exceptional work in four key areas: nature, economics, well-being and social. The company also honored a Supplier of the Year. The recipients of the awards included:
- Nature: Clark Land and Cattle, Williamsport, Indiana
- Economic: Reyskens Dairy, Custar, Ohio
- Well-being: NooSun Dairy, Corinne, Utah
- Social: GreenTop Acres, Haviland, Ohio
- Supplier of the Year: Dr. Mark Hardesty, Maria Stein, Ohio
“We are honored to receive an award from DanoneWave recognizing our social contributions. On our family farm, we’re focused on producing wholesome milk and providing it to DanoneWave, a company we’ve come to know and trust. The recognition reinforces the great pride we have for the work we do each day,” said Esther Flores, Human Resources Manager, GreenTop Acres. “While we are thrilled to receive the award, coming to the annual forum is a highlight in and of itself. This year, we particularly appreciated the opportunity and time to connect with growers, which is something we rarely get to do. Working with DanoneWave helps us to expand our expertise and improve our business.”
About DanoneWave
Headquartered in White Plains, New York, and Broomfield, Colorado, the mission of DanoneWave is to bring health through food to as many people as possible via its diverse offering of dairy and plant-based foods in high growth and evolving categories. The ambition of DanoneWave is to produce healthful foods that create economic and social value and nurture natural ecosystems through sustainable agriculture. Every time we eat and drink, we vote for the world we want. And as the largest public benefit corporation in the US, DanoneWave is taking bold steps for social good in North America. DanoneWave is a subsidiary of Danone and more information is available at http://www.danone.com/en/for-all/our-mission-in-action/danone-whitewave/.
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Source: DanoneWave