Livelihoods: an original form of solidarity between companies and deprived communities

Danone is never short of ideas to convey its dual economic and social project. Following on from the danone.communities and Danone Écosystème funds‚ the Livelihoods Venture now has a fund. One billion five hundred million people suffer from hunger. The vast majority are poor farmers faced with the destruction of their ecosystems (deforestation‚ destruction of mangrove swamps‚ etc.). The Livelihoods fund helps rural communities to carry out important projects in order to restore their ecosystems, and to enable them to feed themselves and to sell some of their products. Eight large companies have joined forces with Danone by investing in the fund. In return for this‚ they receive carbon credits which contribute to limiting their environmental footprint. This creates an original form of solidarity between large companies and deprived rural communities. This is a good idea, but it can only work if it is supported by the appropriate system: luckily, Livelihoods’ is very ingenious...